What Family Is For...

This evening I am feeling so incredibly blessed and all because of a dining room table.  I found a dining room table and chairs I loved this weekend…but haven’t had a truck, trailer, etc. to actually go and pick up the set.  Through an unfortunate turn of events involving a small flood in my kitchen last night (oh the joys of living in a house!), my mom stayed in town an extra day.  While I worked today, I jokingly suggested my mom and grandpa go to the furniture store and get my table and chairs.  Never did I actually think they would go and do it for me but sure enough I arrived home from work after an 11-hour shift to my mother and grandfather waiting for me to help them unload this table from his truck.  I said to my grandfather, “I can’t believe you guys actually went and did this for me.”  To which he responded, “What do you mean you can’t believe it…that’s what family is for!”

I haven’t really lived close to my family since I was 17.  I went away to college an entire year early and after graduation never moved anywhere back near family.  Several years ago my grandparents moved to the area and I’ve been blessed to spend time with them on a regular basis (and extremely blessed to have spent the last couple years of my beautiful grandma’s life visiting and loving on her!).  I guess over the years I have forgotten what family is for…family is supposed to be there for you when you need them; when you can’t do something on your own or you simply don’t want to do something on your own.  In less than 48 hours, my grandpa, mom and I accomplished more in my very empty house than I have accomplished since I moved in at the beginning of December. 

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My house is slowly starting to feel like a home.  (And my awesome room-turned closet is finished and I LOVE it.  Hands down, my favorite room- full of clothes, shoes, jewelry, make-up and more!)   Anyway, there is just something great about having family around…and remembering what family is for.  1 Timothy 5 instructs us to take care of each other…especially families that are separate, missing or broken. 

1 Timothy 5:8a
But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. 

And if your family is not the “what family is for” type of family—remember God might place substitute people in your life to be your family.  I have a few substitute family members for times my family is not near…and these are the best substitutes a girl could ask for (God blessed me with a great substitute family for Christmas Eve two years in a row!).  As family we are supposed to take care of one another, be there for one another, and support one another.  So whoever or wherever your family might be…remember what family is for.  My dining room table will forever serve as more than a table for me...it will be a reminder of so much more.

Table, chairs and a home,

Ashley Lucille

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