Pillage the Village

Family is something that is often underrated in the world. But I can't think of anything that brings me as much joy except for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Gospel and my family are very intertwined. I grew up in a family that had prayer together every night and went to church together every Sunday.

Few things stick out in my mind the way that family prayer does. With 6 crazy kids it was never easy. Runners were sent to gather their siblings, but usually we'd just end up yelling "Greg! Time for family prayer! Sharla! Family prayer!" If we took to long Mom would say, "Last one there's a rotten egg!" So we always relished when Mom entered the living room last, and rubbed it in as children always will. 

Then we would all kneel on the floor together, sometimes leaning on the couch, sometimes sitting in someones lap, sometimes we'd even circle up and hold hands (though this was much less often), and Dad would ask someone to pray. As a child I always messed things up instead of asking God that "no harm or accident would befall" any of my family, I would ask that "no harm or accident would fall before us." I'm not joking. I said it every night in my personal prayers too. (Which my parents taught me to do when I was so young that I don't remember a time before I said my evening prayers.) 

It was hard work and chaotic to get us all there, but there was something very special about having prayer together in our home, thanking God for all He'd given us, and asking for His protection. Our home was a better place for it, and we are better people for it. 

After prayer there would be 3 minutes of chaos as we each zipped about making sure to hug every other member of the family, and to give our parents a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Now, I'm the youngest girl, and while for a number of years as a teenager I strove to seem as tough and strong as I could, the truth is still that I'm sensitive type girl, and a huggy one. So, being one of the very youngest, and comparatively small, I had no trouble darting about in the chaos and getting two, and sometimes three hugs out of people before they noticed that they'd already got me before. It was a challenge, and I loved it. Then my brother's and I would wrap ourselves around our father's strong legs and hold on for dear life as he gave us "foot rides" down the hall to tell us stories and tuck us in to bed. 

To this day when I come home my Father still calls us all to the living room each evening so that we can pray together and thank God for all He gives us. 

It just occured to me that I have my father's eye shape and my mother's smile. I really am their kid :)