Family Review-God's grace

You know those people. The people that write those letters with their Christmas cards. Maybe they are even the people that put the very facts on their cards themselves. These are the people that look back on the previous year and let you know of the amazing things that has happened to them. I personally wrestle with this yearly activity that many people do. "Yes, I can rejoice with you in all the awesome stuff that happened to you". "Yes, I can be proud of you in all the fun activities and places you went". "But no, I am not excited to read all of the great things you did, that I was unable to do". So, I will never say this is a condemned activity, but writing your yearly activities to others, is not a practice that I would tell others to do. We need to be a people who rejoice in ourselves and are grateful in our attitude in all the grace God has shown us the past year. But this rejoicing and gratitude should not be pushed onto others.

I say all that to point to my practice of personal rejoicing in the grace God has shown my family in the past year. Everything I have, everything I am, everything I have experienced, everything I know, and everything that has happened to my family, is all by the grace of God alone. And when I reflect on the grace of God in my life, it springs well of gratefulness, not to share with others, but to spend in worship of God.

So this past year, I saw so much grace of God in the life of my family. My family has been relatively healthy, except for a few weeks in the summer. This past year God gave, in His grace, many amazing trips away with my family, places like Pittsburgh, the beach, and the mountains. God's grace has shone on my family as we discovered education problems with a few of my children, and then found a way to provide the help that has been needed. God's grace was very real in my family as my wife and I have drawn closer through a few challenges that arose, especially the way God has seemingly provided in the challenge of finances. God's grace has led me to worship as each one of my children have grown both physically and spiritually. Sam has truly amazed me as God has instilled in him a deeper love and delight in God and His truth. God has been so gracious in forming a young woman in my daughter, Cara, as she continues to grow in her love for the Bible. God has been doing a great work in Katie, as His grace is evident in forming her into a helpful hand around the house. And God has been very evident in Ellie, as His grace has begun to mold her into a loving life rejoicing little girl.

God's grace, as you can see, has been very active in my family this past year. God has been working, in many different ways that I have seen and rejoiced in. And God's grace has been at work in the life of my family, in many places that I missed and did not see. Oh, what a gracious God we love and serve, and when I think back on 2016, I rejoice in the mighty grace God has freely shown on me.