My Family Situations = My Year 2011 Resolution

For those who are not aware, the Youth Teen Ministry (YTM) theme for this year is Amazing Race 2011 – Family Edition. As I ponder on the keyword of "family", it reminds me one of the quiet time sessions that I did during the end of last year. It also talked about “family” but in a different sense. The YTM theme is talking about how we go through our Christian faith together with fellow Christian believers who are the Church family and the quiet time message that spoke to me was about my blood family. Even though both talks about different aspects and meanings of “family”, I guess it is timely for me to share my year 2011's resolution that relates with my family.

My new year resolution is to stay on with my family, bear with my family, to help my family members with their issues and to reconcile with my family.

Frankly speaking, I come from a broken family, albeit my parents still stay with each other (not divorced, I mean). My mom thought of divorcing when my older sister and I were young, but I thank God that my mom did not do that and later came to the Lord. She consequently lead me to come to the Lord and which I also brought my sister to the Lord.

I must admit that because of our stiffness of heart, believing in Christ has only brought a small change in our family life. Some of you know that my dad has chemical imbalance which creates much havoc in the family and probably in the neighborhood. My mom carry her childhood issues till now, my sister would choose to ignore the issues at my home and as for myself, I nearly give up on my family altogether.

Many times I fasted and prayed for my family's situation and it only came to small changes. However, there’s also a sister-in-Christ that came my way last year and asked me not to give up as that particular sister knew much of my family issues. She adviced me to cling on to God and mentioned that God is indeed good regardless of how I feel towards my family - especially my parents.

I must say that I must love my family the way Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 13 (New King James Version):

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails.

True enough, I have all the head knowledge about love and have several spiritual gifts/faith/service to God but do not have the love for my family, I’m a nobody before God. It is my prayer that I may put up with my family members, not saying any harsh words to them, not easily angered when the things they did triggers my anger, bear and endure with them knowing their very struggles.

May you hold me accountable for these until I have achieved my goals stated in the 2nd paragraph. Thanks!

-Yit Mun

Images taken from:
http://www.adelchristiancounseling.com/
http://www.thoughts.com/monicaspeaks/130
http://theblogfrog.com/1501622/blogposts