Life Goes On

We are on the edge of a season in which families gather together - many look forward with anticipation to these annual or occasional reunions during the holidays.  Others believe that time spent with family can present its share of challenges.  Some will be facing this year without the presence of someone who has left this earth since last year or over the last few years.  Family can be filled with mirth, mess, or a combination of both.  But, God has a purpose for our families, as the Bible says in Psalm 68 (ESV):
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the Lord; exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

That was from the ESV; the NIV states: "God sets the lonely in families..."

There's a group of people known as the "Sandwich Generation" - those who are raising kids at home while having and perhaps caring for aging parents.  I experienced this during the years that my mother and father were alive.  Our situation was made more complicated by distance.  If you've been through it, or are going through it, you know it can be challenging at times.

A well-known television star wrote this on Instagram about her husband, saying that "Over these few past years, I’ve gotten to see Willie in a whole new way, as he’s become a granddad, as he’s loved and guided our adult kids and their spouses, as he’s so sweetly and diligently cared for his parents through loss both mentally and physically..."'

When the Robertson family gathers for holiday festivities this year, they will be missing the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty family: Phil Robertson, Willie Robertson's father, went home to be with the Lord earlier this year.

But, the legacy of the family has continued as it keeps growing - now the family is back on television, featured in Duck Dynasty: The Revival. A Movieguide article relates:

After eight years away from the cameras, the Robertson family returned. But THE REVIVAL isn’t a reboot of the original show.

This time around, THE REVIVAL focuses on family and the realities of life.

“I didn’t know if we’d ever do a show again,” Willi Robertson told Relevant Magazine. “But the way culture is—with all the anxiety, the arguing, the distance in families—it felt like maybe there was something we could offer to help.”

The Movieguide article goes on to say: "More than anything, the Robertsons’ faith plays the biggest role in THE REVIVAL, as well as the loss of Willie’s father, Phil Robertson."  Willie stated: “He died the week the show came out...He never got to see it. Though I’m not sure he would’ve watched it. Maybe.”

But, the story and legacy of the family continues, and even through tough times, in her Instagram post, Korie reinforced the notion of their faith in God, quoting from James chapter 1 about His faithfulness in trials.  She wrote: “What keeps coming to mind is not all of the hard times, but all of the joy we have now, this far in! A lot seems easier, we’ve matured, softened, we understand each other better now, we made it through raising 6 kids together, most nights we get a full night’s sleep (except when the grandkids spend the night, ha!)..."

So, this holiday season, no doubt this famous family will be touched by the loss of their husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.  And, perhaps they will take time, as Korie did in her post, to reflect on God's faithfulness, even through trials.

And, maybe we can do the same - family situations are different, but we can recognize our common bond.  And, we can look for God to do His work as we celebrate the birth of His Son, our Savior.  Where there may have been challenges or tensions in the past, we can recognize that God is there to bring healing.

We can also think about how God can use us.  That applies to relationships and the consideration of how we can contribute to healing and reconciliation.  On a grander scale, Willie Robertson talked about the new TV show as something that "we could offer to help" in the midst of our culture.  We are equipped to be agents of change because Jesus has changed us.  So, we can humble ourselves before the Lord and allow Him to express Himself wherever we are - whether it's with the family He has given to us or with those outside our family, who are our fellow human beings.  And, even those who may not have family around can consider how they can reach out to others and trust God to find a place to belong.