Let me tell you about my wee gran.
She was a petite wee silver-haired whirlwind, known throughout our village for her legendary home-baking and ability to seemingly be everywhere at once. She had six grand-children and was retired for my whole life. She lived on her own, on a state pension and a few extra pounds as a widow's pension from when my papa died.
But the one thing that will never forget about my gran was her ability to be generous with the very little that she had.
I don't know how she did it but we never went without.
And that's the thing about families - they give dangerously. Even when it doesn't make sense financially - it makes less sense not to.
As the year draws to an end (sorry, that's a bit depressing, but I didn't want to mention the ho-ho-horrible financial nightmare that Christmas can be for some) I've been looking back over our year and asking whether our lives have lived up to the values we say we believe in? Have we been living like the family - household of God (Ephesians 2:19) - that we claim we belong to?
Being in church - and in our case NCLC (www.mynclc.co.uk) - we form an amazing community. But the loss of a friend recently showed us to be so much more... we are family (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!) We have wept together, laughed together, grieved together and grown together.
But what else should the family of God be doing?
Families celebrate excellence. You know it's a family when someone excels and the rest cheer them on. I can't remember a school prize-giving when my grandparents weren't in the audience. Excellence should never be just a word, or worse, a chore. It should be something we get excited about. It reflects God.
Families protect the family name. My brother and I fought like cat and dog for years. But if anyone says anything about my brother... the same should apply for us - especially as God's household. We need to protect one another and intentionally find the best to say. I hate the expression, 'if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all'. What kind of lazy nonsense is that? Just say something nice! And when it comes to our pastors this applies even more so. They don't need flattery but the Bible makes it clear that the enemy is out to steal, kill and destroy - but just like me and my brother - he'll have to get through us first!
Families are in this together. Now listen, I understand not all earthly families get this - but that doesn't mean we shouldn't aspire to it. When it comes to it, if I have a disagreement with my 'family' I can't just walk out and find a new one. Instead we would have to work through that... we're family. And we need to see church like this too. Instead of staying offended or hurt, let's be family. And if you find it hard, make sure you get to connect group. It's incredibly difficult to sit down to eat with people you have issues with - and even harder when that meal is communion. Being with the heart of the family forces us to heal.
Families include generations. I remember my mum telling me off when I was little for being'good' for my gran and 'naughty' for her. But the truth was I behaved exactly the same in both places - it was just my gran chose to see past some of the other stuff. And you know, in our church family, we need to have every generation... and all doing what each does best. We need spiritual grannies who will see the best in a young person whose parents are pulling their hair out. We need dads for the boys, babies for the childless, wisdom from age, boldness of youth, loudness of childhood and the necessary restraint of maturity. All together.
And finally - back to my wee gran...
Families give dangerously. I don't think my gran ever thought for more than a minute about the loss of what she would have to give up for us - she just did it. I know she felt it, but because she always wanted to do more. And when it comes to playing our part as the building blocks Jesus uses to build his church I know I want to be one of those who gives dangerously. I want faith to begin with my money and end in a miracle of healing somewhere. I want my kids to grow up knowing we plan and budget to run our household but that we do that so we can be generous on all occasions.
I know this is long but I want to end by saying this. Over the last 18 months our joint finance dropped by about a third, petrol has gone up, food has gone up but... we have not dropped any of our financial commitments.
We still tithe
We still save
We still take the boys to Pizza Hut on a Saturday, and...
we now sponsor two more compassion kids than we did two years ago (a new one every year in jesus name!) -
I honestly don't say that to boast - but to say there have been times over the last year when we were squeezed, and I'm glad to say that tears weren't because we had to give up something, but only because we can't do more.
I want to encourage you... the family dynamic works two ways because God never abandons his household. He remains our provider, our shelter, our healer, our deliverer and our strength.
Could next year be the year where you also give dangerously?
