All About Family Exodus 1:1 July 4, 2018

^"These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household. . ."  (Exodus 1:1 ESV)

Watermelon has been cut.  Burger patties shaped.  Beverages iced.  By the day's end untold bags of charcoal briquets will have been reduced to ash as people come together to celebrate our nation's indepenence.  Many of those gatherings will consist of families both large and small.

The first social structure created was the family.  Adam and Eve were a family.  Soon Cain and Able (for a short while) were added to that structure.  Since the Garden of Eden, the family has played an important part in the history of the Jewish people.

Exodus starts off listing all of Jacob brothers and his descendens.  The first nine chapters of 
1 Chronicles is devoted almost entirely to family trees and who begat whom.  Scripture traces Jesus' lineage all the way back to David.  The role that family and the family tree played in Jewish history cannot be overstated.

It seems as if the importance of family is becoming less and less in America.  I have no scientific or statistical basis for this claim.  But after spending 32 years in public education, I have seen the definition of family broaden.  "Dad" might be the man mom has dated for the past six months. A "cousin" is a peer who is sharing a room with that child because mom is out of work.  Step families become more convoluted and harder to sort out.  

That is a loss.  I come from a very small family.  My father was an only child.  My mom had one childless sister.  I have one brother.  He has two children, but I never put any effort into being an engaged uncle.  When they were young I was too caught up in my life to spend time being a part of theirs.

As I grow older I am starting to see, I have lost out.  While we do gather for holidays, the interactions are surface.  Work and weather are the main topics of conversation.  Is it too late to reengage?  Most likely. 

While there are times family can drive you crazy, they are still family. Cherish those relationships.  Nurture those bonds.  Take it from someone who has squandered the opportunity, keep your family ties strong.  Sure there will be times it will be inconvenient.  There will be drives to make.  Cards to send.  Gifts to buy.  But in the end, it will be worth it.