Thoughts on Family from the Fog

I copied this off of cousin Ray's (far right, Derold, Left) blog . We didn't get the rest of the clan in the picture but we also were with Randy and wife Kimmie, Derold's wife Janna, and kids Shai and Devon and Dori, husband Steve and children Mat, Mike and Melissia. Randy and the kids had never met Ray and Derold saw him last near 30 years ago. Ray remembered the meeting well. Derold let him drive his new Camero (79), a treat for a farm boy. Things fell into place quickly because we are family. I'm sure we will all find more opportunities to get together as often as possible. I mentioned on an earlier post that I am in somewhat of a fog. A part of the fog is the season of life I am in. Several times on the trip Ray deferred decisions to me as the "patriarch" of the Zimmermann side of family. Technically I am #2 on the list but Derold's father Roland wasn't around so the mantal fell on me. Ready or not, it is that season. Hunting aside, the real motivation for the trip was to get the family together again, there was a longing to do it and I was not in any way disappointed. It exceeded my hopes. I have another kind of family here in Phoenix...and beyond...that I love to get together with too. Some would call it the church, but it is so much more than that. It is a group of people God has put into my life to share His Love with. Some of the Fog cleared this morning as I pondered he success of the trip and my desires for my other family. The trip was successful because we all got together to give, expecting nothing and needing nothing but the joy of each other's company and love. Had I gone looking to GET something, I likely would have been disappointed. I'm thinking that is were families, physical and spiritual, go wrong. Whenever a group gathers to RECEIVE from the family, they are essentially saying that Jesus had not given them enough so they had to find someone else to get it from. Since Jesus CREATED each and every one of us to receive ALL WE NEED from Him alone we will never really find it any were else. When we have received all we need from Him, THEN we are in a great position to really fellowship with all the family and share with them what He has given to us. If this only kind of makes sense to you or you want to think about it more with me, call me, you have my number.