You aren’t supposed to be jealous, but I’ve always been jealous
of big, close-knit families. There’s always been something so cool to me about
big families in movies, books or real life. The dynamics between siblings. The
different relationships between each child with each parent. The traditions the
whole family takes part in each year. I gravitate towards big families.
My best friend comes from a family of five. One of my favorite things has been seeing their family pictures every year as they attend Opening Day for the Houston Astros for the past 30+ years. Recent TV shows like Parenthood and This Is Us get me all in my feels. And I love the Little Women books and movies so much that I visited The Orchard House in Massachusetts a few weeks ago to learn more about the real-life story of Louisa May Alcott and her sisters.
I think I gravitate to big families because I didn’t have one as a kid and desperately wanted it. I’m an only child whose parents divorced when I was 10 years old. It rocked my world to say the least. From then on, I’ve always looked at big, close families as the dream. No matter the job, material possessions or money in the bank account, if I had a big family one day then I’d made it. I will have achieved “success.”
Obviously, the size of your family or your marital status doesn’t define success, but family has always meant a lot to me. Although I never had that, the family I did have was my church family. From my church youth group in middle school to the church where I now serve as pastor, the people I worship alongside have been my people. It’s true that church family is a second family for many, but for some it’s their first.
This Sunday is Family Weekend at IBC. It’s a time for all of us to come together at one service for worship, fellowship and fun. One big family under one big roof. I love this weekend because there’s no kids or youth programming. No multiple services. Just one service where we all get to worship the King—together. We break bread together and laugh together. Despite our differences and disagreements, the common denominator of who we serve outweighs it all.
It feels like church. It feels like who IBC is. It feels like one big family.
For all the details about Family Weekend this Sunday go to irvingbible.org/familyweekend. Can’t wait to see you there.