Best family reunions

I just noticed on my calendar that we have a family reunion coming up very soon. It will be the first one we will be able to attend in about 10 years, so I'm looking forward to being reunited with many of my (extended) family. Yes, we exchange the occasional email and share pictures and family events on Facebook, but there is nothing that is better than being face to face with folks.

That's not something new! We still have around us something which has picked up the name "Snail Mail" or actually writing a letter with pen and paper and mailing it to someone. But again that's not the way that touches us in our hearts the most. The apostle John wrote about doing this. In 2 John_1:12 he wrote: "I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

I believe that contained within those sentences is the key to what reunions give us. John wrote: "I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete". Our joy is made complete, we share our love of one another and our spirits are renewed and refreshed, in the presence of those we love, our joy is made complete.

We have many family members in our lives who are not blood relatives, but who are made brothers and sisters through the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Many of those we have not seen for many years and may never see in this life, but they are no less missed and loved.

Of course there is the great reunion yet to come for Christ and His children. Several hymns come to mind with phrases such as: "Face to face with Christ my Savior," or "What a happy day it will be when my Savior's face I see." I'm sure you could list many, many more, but these express the basis of our faith don’t they? It's all about reunions. Reunions with loved ones, reunions with other Saints we have never met, and the great reunion with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His Father.

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to that reunion. 1 Thessalonians 4:13f gives us some insight into the reunion with those who have gone on before us. But we will only attend the reunion if we first accept the invitation to come. Jesus said inRevelation 22:17, "The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." And in verse 14 Jesus said, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city."

Do you want to attend the reunion? It's all about being a blood relative in Christ. Another old hymn reminds us, "There is power in the blood," and asks, have you been cleansed by the life giving blood, washed and made part of a new eternal family? I'm planning on going to my family reunion, the one at the local pizza parlor and the one in heaven that provides for all of my needs for eternity. What about you?  --Russ Lawson