One of my favorite authors is Edith Schaeffer...I have an entire section of ever-growing editions on my personal bookshelf. She writes with beauty and wisdom, especially when speaking of the family. I have been thinking about the subject of change lately...as it seems to be ever-present in the day in which we find ourselves.
In her book, What is a Family, Edith so beautifully paints a word picture of family. "What is a family? " A family is a mobile. A family is the most versatile, ever-changing mobile that exists. A family is a living mobile that is different from the handcraft mobiles in the art-museum mobiles, different from the mobiles of lake and trees and from the mobiles of birds, fish, and animals-different from any mobiles of machine, animal, or plant. A family is an intricate mobile made up of human personalities."
"In so many ways a family is a mobile-an artwork that takes years, even generations, to produce, but which is never finished. The artwork of this mobile called "family" continues, and imagination, creativity, originality, talent, concern, love, compassion, excitement, determination, and time to produce a diversity which is a challenge to any intelligent human being who has been given understanding of how to begin in the studio of life itself."
"Unity and diversity. Form and freedom. Togetherness and individuality. A family."
"Birth, education, marriage, tragic deaths, successes, failures-eternal life-heaven. Never static, A Christian family is a mobile blown by the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit. This is not a romantic idea; it is in accordance with what the Bible teaches is possible. Each member of the family, as he or she is born again, is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. If this takes place, one can picture not perfection, but a measure of reality in thinking of the Christian family as constantly changing from month to month, year to year, with the mix never the same-agewise, interestwise, talentwise, intellectwise-never static, with always new fascination in discovering new points of communication as human beings are growing and developing. A mobile-blown by the breeze of the Holy Spirit."
"No, not one member of any family will always be directed or blown by the Spirit, nor will all the members be directed every day in perfect balance to His plan, but there is an exciting possibility of knowing something very real in some measure, as there is recognition of the importance and centrality of the living artwork, the mobile which the family can be. What is a family? An artwork-a mobile."
My family...and your family are precious works of art blown by the breeze of the Holy Spirit! Each change, event, or circumstance is first sifted through the hands of our LORD. I find this such a blessed assurance and encouragement for our families!
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psalms 103:1-2
