Tomorrow morning, I head to Dallas to pick up my family from the airport and bring them home. To say I’m looking forward to this is obvious, and an understatement. I’ve missed them terribly. Jana has called me just about every day and I’ve gotten to talk to my little girls a few times as well which was great. It was obvious they were having a great time. For that, I am very thankful.
God has richly blessed me with a family such as this. I have a wife that, to my eyes, is the most beautiful, thoughtful, and caring woman in the world. She goes out of her way to bless me in multiple ways and I know that I don’t thank her enough. My eldest daughter, Zoë, loves her daddy and I can’t wait for her to come home and tell me her stories in non-stop fashion. She’s bright, intelligent, funny, and the prettiest little princess in the world (okay – I’m biased). My youngest daughter, Téya, also beautiful, is so full of life and the most expressive little girl I’ve ever known.
Yes, I am blessed. Quite often, I find myself taking this beautiful family of mine for granted. I forget, as we all do, what an incredible part of my life they are. In fact, they define an aspect of who I am… I believe this is God’s design. Our families are supposed to define a part of our personality, habits, and character. That’s why it’s so important to recognize the blessings and work to overcome any difficulties.
So, right now, I meditate on the blessing of family once again. It’s been a lonely week (no – not sob, sob, lonely… but lonely). Empty house. Quiet. Too quiet. I got to talk with them just about every night, but it’s not the same.
Tomorrow, I will bask in the loving presence of the three most important people in my life (save Christ, of course). Today, my heart longs for their presence. Tomorrow, we’ll talk and laugh and the loneliness will be gone. Today, I am deeply thankful that I have a family to long for that loves me. Tomorrow, I want to remember and be thankful. Today, I praise my Creator, God, and Friend that He has seen fit to open my eyes to the blessing that is family.
Hopefully, you see in these writings a man who is staying The Course and pursuing The Path amidst the pitfalls and selfish ways of being a son of Adam. I pray earnestly that my writing would encourage some of you by showing you that this journey - though arduous and sometimes tragic - is a journey of great satisfaction. A satisfaction greater than our greatest imaginings. The trials and refining fire of tribulation are to be recognized as a small shadow of the suffering of our Savior so that we can rejoice, as Peter and the disciples did, to be counted worthy to suffer for the sake of the Name.