Home and Family

If you watch the Hallmark channel, you know that home and family is front and center. Wonderful loving families all coming home for Christmas with tables full of all kinds of goodies and trees surrounded by bright shiny packages! Even the stockings are beautifully hung on the mantles with care. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? But not everybody has family with them this time of year. It may be because of physical distance but it could also be because of emotional distance. The Word of God tells us something important in Matthew 6. It says “ if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you”. I know one thing. It’s a lot easier to tell someone to forgive than it is to do it. Did you ever wonder why God was so serious about us forgiving others? We know that we’re to be like Him and He is more than willing to forgive but it’s so much more. He knows what it does to us personally. If we refuse to forgive, we are giving the enemy a foothold in our life. It’s a way the enemy uses to torment you on a daily basis. You know what I’m talking about. You have to make sure you don’t run into them at family get- togethers . You check out the parking lot before you go into a restaurant to be sure “they” aren’t there. It’s exhausting being angry or being hurt. For those of us who have divided families, we need to do one of two things: Forgive and mend fences or pray for those who have turned against us and those who refuse to forgive you. And know this, I’m praying that all of you have a wonderful peaceful holiday season.