My family.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.
  ~Jane Howard

We have over the years had kids that camp out at our house.  For lots of different reasons.  Adults want to say things like:

There's always someone to play with.
My kids are bored at my house.
Where there's that many people there's a party.
Amanda/Scott are great with kids.
Amanda/Scott handle kids better than I do.


That list is endless.  I had a mother message me the other day and say this:

"Thank u for allowing ______ to feel so welcome and as part of the family. she really needed it."

I wanted to send her back a message and tell here that _____ HAD a family who should be just that.  But when you have a mom who ditches her kids every single weekend (all four of them) in different locations so she can go do who knows what (and I really don't know what she does)....then I suppose she does need a family. 

So my clan,network, tribe, family....it becomes hers too.  But, it makes me sad that while I welcome her, she is still lost.   This weekend my high school girls are on the ski trip with the youth group and sure enough on Friday afternoon she (who is also in high school but could not go on the trip) called and asked if she would come for the weekend.  She did.

What is it about my house kids like?  I stand in my kitchen and cook.  I feed more than mine every single night.  I have snacks and yes I do have structure...there ARE rules.  Scott teaches them at church and he sure does at home.  I love that he comes home from work to a houseful of kids, many who do not belong to us, and he still takes time to ask the extras about their day and questions THEIR parents should be asking.  He gives endless rides to kids (and believe it or not those kids do have at least one parent with a car!).

I smiled with Scott last night as we took home a teenager who spends a good bit of time at our house.  Scott is forever giving him a ride home.  In his driveway, two nice vehicles (one of which Scott and Paden were talking about the other night, the kind Scott would "love to have" but sure won't anytime soon). 

Priorities!!  We live in a time of selfishness.  We live in a time where adults just live how they want and do what they want and do not regard their children as God intends.

Why are kids at my house all the time?  Because family, kids, food, ballgames, playing, visiting, hanging out with one another, going to church, values and discipline....those are all priorities at our house.  And if you are a teenager who wonders if anyone cares about you?  We do, we will feed you and carrying you to church and carry you with our family as we go about life and we will call you out when you are doing wrong, in other words?  We are a clan, a network, a tribe ....a family.....and it shows.

I don't say that to pat me on the back.  I think family today is so often like good manners today.  A child with good manners stands out!!  We take notice, we appreciate and we love those kids!  And a child who has a family who works together?  They stand out too and just as it is with manners, people are drawn to that.  And if you are a parent who wants to do your own thing and don't want to worry about your child?  I suppose they see what we do too....and voila'  we are a house fuller than intended. 

In the scheme of things, in this life, I have a hard time bemoaning my opportunities to serve or to teach God to others.  But, when I'm tired or would like to have just five minutes of peace, I have to remind myself that I would willingly do for others, and understanding that.... it really doesn't matter if someone is "taking advantage" of my family....it is what I would willingly do if I had the chance to offer.  And I am allowed, by someone else's neglect, to guide and help a child.

However it is formed, every single person needs a family and I truly am happy to share mine! 

**This blog was for me today, because I am tired.  Today I would like that long nap or not to have to cook or deal with kids (haha..I do have those selfish moments myself...I just don't choose to act on them)  Today I preached to ME!  I sometimes need to just stop and remind myseld that I am so very very blessed!!