Home At Last

It's been the first time i've stepped foot inside my house since August 12th. For all ye fellow college students, this situation is probably similar. It may "hit home" to some of you, but not to others. But as I sit in my lazy-boy-chair in my old room which is now infested by my brother and his bearded dragons and 300 cockroaches, I think about what it means to live in this home -- this family. And sadly, when I say the word "family" or "home,"some of you cringe, get angery or feel resentment and hostility, or even worse, hatred. But some of you might laugh, smile, feel anxious, get happy and bounce off the walls, and all of the in between. And yesterday it hit me.

It all started when I parked the car in the driveway, and then before you know it, my mom, dad, sister and myself were headed out the door to help my sister paint the walls inside her knew home an hour and some change away. I didn't even get a chance to sit in my house to soak in all the scents, the views, the slow walk around the house, the new decorations, moved furniture, and now to my surprise, my brothers new room...not mine. I love to just check out what's new or what's changed. And it's weird to think all of this stuff is going on without me knowing, but I guess that's just the phase of life us college kid's are going through. For example, we got a new dishwasher. For a split second, I got upset because no one told me. I quickly realized that if my dad had called me to tell me about a new dishwasher, I would have laughed and thought, "Why would he call me just to tell me about a new dishwasher?!" But back to the story... So i'm in my sister's new house and we are eating some subs before we start working and my lil bro started telling a story of how my sister was being clumsy and tripping over something. Now the story doesn't necessarily matter, but in that moment of laughter I realized how much I miss my family. I don't get to laugh with them, or tell stories about stupid things, or crack inside jokes with them, or wrestle with my younger and much weaker brother ;). Wow. I have never missed them that much. It put it all into perspective. I love my brother. Always will...even if he does eventually beat me in wrestling one day. (probably around the time when I need a new walker or a cane haha) And I love my lil sister mackenzie. She's always singing, dancing, txting her high school friends, and just a blast to be around. And my mom and dad... I wish I could say how much I love them, but it's not possible. From the countless wooden spoon beatings to the proudest parents in the stands watching me jump 15'5" at IC4A's, they have been there through and through... They've kept a roof over my head, amazing food on the table, the house warm (or my dad telling me to put more layers on), and directed me to put God first in all I do. Whether directly or indirectly, they've been there for me my entire life.
But this also makes me think about those people who hate their parents, those people who hate their families, or don't feel comfortable around them. It breaks my heart to even think about not having and seeing the love that my family has for me and each other. My heart hurts for those who have been bruised physically, verbally, or by neglect. I wish I could do something about it. Because sometimes it's impossible to control your own household, so how could anyone control another? But I wish some people could have experienced what I experienced. Love, faith, and security.
I was talking to my buddy the other day about seeing abusive parents beating up their kids. First of all, my mind can't even comprehend that, but I tried to grab a rough idea of what it would be like. I don't know what goes on in some of those parent's heads who beat their children, but the scary part is... that's probably how they grew up. But I also think, if they experienced that in their childhood, they should know better! They should know how NOT to treat their children. That only makes sense to me. If you know someone hurt you, you know how to NOT hurt someone else. But that's a whole other topic...
So basically, I want to challenge you to think about your family. Think about life with and without them. I find it difficult to think about life without them, but I know life would be a lot different. So this thanksgiving, really take a look at what you have. Look at the love that surrounds the table, in friends, family members, food, and smiles. Be a sponge this thanksgiving. Soak up all the love. Realize what you have, and thank God for it. Because we know that's the only one who gave you everything you have. And remember the love that you have for your family and friends, God has so much more for you. And if we love God in return, we will obey him. God is talking. Listen.

Have a happy, loving, comforting, and stomach-filling Thanksgiving!!!