Thankful for Family Stories of Love and Faith

On Monday night, March 11, as twenty of us were sitting around two tables waiting for dinner on our family cruise, the stories began. Kathy and I were at a table with 5 of our 6 grandchildren, two nephews, our oldest son, Josh, and my sister and brother-in-law, Martha and Mark Reaves. Almost as soon as we sat down our granddaughter, Emma, asked, “Do you have any stories, Poppy?” Others groaned. They thought I might go long and tell fish stories. 😊 Then she asked, “Poppy, do you remember when my dad stuck Andy in the cheek with a hook?” I informed Emma, “Actually, I was the one who did that.” It happened on Walby Lake before Tim was born. With myself and 3 children in a canoe, I tried to cast a fly, and my fly unfortunately caught my son, Andy, in the left cheek. Oops, (sigh) I still regret that one.

Then Emma took over conversation. She started on her version of some more stories. “Do you remember when you took us fishing and you ran into an island, and you blamed us?” Actually I did not then remember, and still do not now remember that event. I remember taking grandchildren fishing MANY times. (I don’t regret doing that. They even tell stories!) I have actually had (ahem) a number of mishaps in my boat. My daughter, Mary, has been present for many of these memorable experiences. But, Mary wasn’t sitting at our table this night. Perhaps I ran into a gravel bar on the Little Susitna River with four grandchildren. But, all five at our table were remembering being present. My son, Josh, suggested, “They tell these stories enough that, even if they weren’t present, they think they were.” BUT . . . they do have memories! I have a picture, I think from that trip, of Jackson with a huge grin holding a pink salmon he caught.

Emma was on a roll. “Poppy, do you remember when you took Jake and me golfing? I thought that would be fun, but we weren’t allowed to swing a club.” Actually, I remember this golf game. Children could ride on the course, but they were not allowed to actually golf. And the course owner was watching! Emma continued, “You made Jake drive and I had to keep score. And, it lasted 5 hours!” I did take them golfing in the spring of 2021 when school in Alaska was conducted virtually, because of COVID, and our grandchildren visited Kathy and me in Florida. Emma’s memories are a little different than mine, but . . . she remembers time together!

“Or,” Emma continued, “do you remember taking us fishing in Florida? It was really hot and we wanted to go home, but you wanted to keep fishing.” At these words Kathy chimed in, “Preach it, Emma!” Kathy also thinks I might have kept her out a little long at times in my boat. 😊 I told Emma I did remember this fishing trip. But my chief memory was of Jacob driving the boat. My grandson, Jake, often acts ‘cool’, and his smiles can be hard to come by. However, on this day I saw the biggest grin on Jacob’s face I can remember! I still have a picture of that gigantic grin behind the wheel of the boat. Emma also remembered that part of the trip.

Our grandkids continued talking about places I had taken them. A couple remembered falling in the water while ice fishing. My sister just sat back and enjoyed the show. Kathy leaned over to me and said something like, “We have created a lot of memories.”

Not all stories are happy stories. I remember the day my mom passed away in 2011 in the hospital bed with her family around her. Afterwards, not quite knowing what to do, our gathered family, including my dad, went to a Sonny’s Barbeque restaurant. We still remember that our waitress was Kris, and that she asked how we were doing and picked up quickly what had happened. We received special attention that night at the restaurant. I also remember the morning my dad passed in 2018. He was in a hospice facility. Though, he seemed comfortable and somewhat strong when we all left Friday night, I received a call at 4:50 a.m. on Saturday that he was fading fast. I was with him at 5:25 a.m. when God called him home. Among the many memories I have of my parents, these are bittersweet.

I appreciate Psalm 127 for a number of reasons, but the last 3 verses celebrate the blessing of family and children. “3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5) I know those blessings as a father!

The Lord had stories for His family to retell in the Old Testament. Listen to Deuteronomy 26:5-8. 5 "And you shall make response before the LORD your God, 'A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7 Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders.’” God’s Exodus deliverance of His people is a GREAT STORY, and worth retelling!

St. Paul summarized the story of God’s family in the New Testament with these words, “14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatian 6:14) (You might want to look at a longer version of this New Testament story which Peter related to those in the house of Cornelius in Acts 10:36-44.)

Do you have family stories that bring a smile remembering love and faith? One more story I hope my grandchildren, and children, remember is dinner time on our family cruise this March of 2024. Each evening 20 of us gathered around our 2 dinner tables. As the food was served, before we ate, all twenty of us prayed out loud, “Come, Lord Jesus. Be our guest. And let these gifts to us be blest. Amen!” I pray our prayer was a witness of faith and love to others around us.

I am thankful my children and my grandchildren have stories about their family. I pray that, among all their stories, they remember some good stories which speak of faith and love.

Do you have stories of faith and love in your family? What are they? Do you share your stories?