Reunion

Reunion. I had the privilege to head down to South Carolina this past weekend to spend time with my wife’s family on her father’s side. I got to meet her aunts and uncles as well as most of her cousins and their children. She hadn’t seen some of them in over fifteen years, so it was a great reunion with a lot of hugging, laughing and eating. It was great for me to get to know that side of her family.

It got me thinking about reunions and stories the Bible tells about seeing family that you haven’t seen in many years. It brought me to the story of Joseph and his brothers. After being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph made his way up the chain of command in every situation that he was in. It culminated in being the second highest in command in the empire of Egypt.

When his brothers arrived in Egypt because of a drought, Joseph was finally reunited with the very members of his family that tried to do away with him. For most of us, that would have been the time of retaliation, but not for Joseph. These were his brothers, and whatever they had done to him was in the past and he was overjoyed to see them after many years.

It also brought to mind the story of Jacob and Esau and the opportunity they had to reunite after a major falling out over a birthright. The point is, no matter what trials and tribulations we go through as families, when we have the opportunity to reunite and see each other once again, our family bond is stronger than anything else we go through.

There will be a final reunion that Christians should be looking forward to; the reunion of believers to Christ and to other believers. That glorious day is coming, hopefully soon, when we will be able to spend eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior. We will once again see family that also put their trust and faith in Christ. Oh, glorious day!

“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18.

Have a great day and God bless.