December 16, 2004
The Gift Of Family
Read: Exodus 20:1-20
Honor your father and your mother. —Exodus 20:12
Bible In One Year: Amos 4-6; Revelation 7
Through her books and lectures, Edith Schaeffer has become much appreciated for her insights into the value of life's ordinary days. When she and her husband Francis were first married, both sets of parents lived nearby. The newlyweds divided each Sunday afternoon and evening be-tween the Schaeffers and the Sevilles.
After a few years, Edith and Francis moved to Switzerland, where they could talk with their parents only once a year in a brief phone conversation.
Looking back half a century later, Edith wrote of being glad for the way they had used those Sunday afternoons. She noted that "proximity of loved ones is not an endless situation." She concluded that a package labeled "time to care for parents and exhibit love" doesn't just arrive someday. We must show love while we can.
The fifth of the Ten Commandments says: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you" (Exodus 20:12). The command to love and respect our parents applies equally to children living at home, newly independent young couples, and empty-nesters.
Seize each moment you have to love and honor your family. The opportunity won't last forever. —David McCasland
- Plan a regular time to call a family member.
- Help an aged relative with a project or housework.
- Write a letter to someone you love but cannot visit.
Time is one of the greatest gifts we can give each other.