Family Reunion

Yesterday was a bittersweet reunion with all my kids together for the first time in about 19 months. My eldest daughter, Patricia, came down from Grande Prairie for a visit and to see the baby sister she has never met. It was interesting to me to see how strong the bonds of blood can be as Patricia delighted in being surrounded by all her little brothers and sisters again and tried to make overtures to Elodie in the hopes that Princess Punkadunk would allow her to have a cuddle. (Nothing doin'.)

Patricia is staying with her sister in town and we went to visit her there. At one point all the children went to the park and I took group photos of them all on the playground equipment. I was so relieved to get those pictures and I pray they turn out well. You never know what life will bring and I would hate to never have a single picture of all the children together.

Last night I brought my granddaughter home for the night while her mother and eldest aunt went out for the evening. I returned Keiannah home to her parents and then guilted Patricia into coming to church with the rest of us. I don't know if it accomplished anything, but hope springs eternal that some part of the ministry would be a means of drawing a wayward child back to the Father.

Even if Trish got nothing out of the sermon, I did. Pastor Greg Price has been preaching a series on baptism and today's text was I Peter 3:21. One point that stuck with me was the illustration in Scripture of the ark that was the outward means of salvation to Noah and his family, yet proved to be only an outward form for Ham. I sat there in the service, at the back of the church nursing my baby and watching my older children in front of me. Grieving. Would this child or that child have only the outward form but fail to look to Christ?

My heart is heavy as I contemplate a daughter who is beautiful on the outside, but who demonstrates a shallow, worldly, and vain view of life. I fear for her eternal destiny. I know that if she is not of the elect, one day I will view her utter destruction with the knowledge that God is just to deliver her over to torment for her sins. But it isn't a prospect that can be faced with equanimity, even as I deliberately place my trust in God, that He does all things well.