Community and family are a beautiful thing. I get to experience the holidays with my family, my church and my extended family at the Dance Academy.
That's why it is so important to treat our families and our extended families right during this time of the year. While it doesn't appear that there is an increase in family fighting during the holidays, we apparently don't forget them for a long time.
As a kid, I can remember one family fight between my dad and a family friend at the Thanksgiving table. To be fair, the family friend didn't have a clue. Even I knew the correct answer to the question. However, my dad couldn't let it go until the family friend conceded that he was wrong. That never happened. I never ate my turkey and dressing so fast. I was sitting in the middle of the fight. Fortunately for me, the mashed potatoes never did fly. Thankfully, the family friend, he never came back.
Ps 133:1 It is truly wonderful when relatives live together in peace. (CEV)
How do you treat your family (and extended family) properly?
Offense - Deal with your offense immediately and appropriately. Often during the holidays we get so caught up in what we are doing that we unknowing offend people. ALSO, do not take up someone else's offense. Listening to them gripe about someone else isn't healthy for you or them. Politely tell them to take their offense to the person who offended them or drop it - gossip is a sin.
Arrogance - Don't treat other people like your servants. Sometimes we can come off that way, especially when we are under a deadline. (If you're like me, manners are often sacrificed in the name of efficiency.) Just because someone is doing a job that you think is beneath, doesn't mean that it is beneath you.
Serve - Do everything that you can to serve. How do you know if you are serving well? Are your hands dirty?
PRAY: Dear Jesus, help me to treat my family well this holiday season. AMEN
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