Strengthening Our Families

Last week MJ Radock gave us some ideas for having summer fun with our children. It is easy for us to recognize God’s call to us to be stewards of our children. It is a rewarding stewardship practice as they love us so generously and freely in return.

In this week’s thoughts on stewardship, let’s push that bubble to include not just our children, but all the members of our immediate families. God calls each of us to live in a family unit – however your particular unit may be defined. He calls us to be good stewards of that unit, each of us loving and caring for the other members. With the pace and stresses of our busy lives, it is easy to forget that we must take time and be intentional in the stewardship of those sometimes fragile family bonds.

In this stewardship message, Dr. Jan Warburton, a licensed psychologist and member of our parish, writes about strengthening our relationships with those people who are closest to us.

 

Strengthening Our Families

Creating a working partnership among family members means developing a complex system. The system needs to establish somewhat fluid ways of helping and nurturing each other, while minimizing demands. Sometimes, it’s difficult to avoid internal friction.

A research study done decades ago arranged to have users of a pay phone either conduct their call as usual and then move on or find over a dollar’s worth of change in the coin return after making their call. (Readers under the age of 30 are likely to have no idea what this contraption called a pay phone is all about!) A researcher disguised as an older woman struggling with her grocery bags walked by the phone booth as the users exited. The bags were rigged so the woman could make the groceries spill out the bottom of the bags onto the sidewalk. Overwhelmingly the folks who had found money in the phone helped her, but those who did not find any change mostly avoiding “seeing” her.

We are most generous when our needs are fulfilled. Of course, this can be far more complex than is simply stated in this brief commentary, but basically looking for ways to give in to things that are more important to your partner, delighting a child with your time and attention, and spontaneously giving of kindness all around—these are some of the best places to begin strengthening your family.

  

Creator God, Thank you for the gift of family. May we celebrate with each other in joy, support each other in times of sorrow or pain, forgive each other’s thoughtless actions, and love each other unconditionally as you have loved us. Help us to look into each other’s eyes and see your presence residing there. Amen.