Encourage Me: Reunited

I had known about this event for a couple of weeks. When Saturday, July 10, 2016 finally arrived, I was rather excited. The last time my family had been at a restaurant in Gallipolis, OH, (in December 2015) there had been a rather large life celebration for a predominant female in my life. (See the Birthday of a Matriarch)

Bobbi and I had dressed in our finest. (See selfie pose, #1.) Due to work commitments, our daughter was unable to attend. On our two hour journey, we picked up my mother from Groveport. We arrived at 11:30am for the Kingsbury family reunion.

My connection to these unknown relatives, who were soon to become friends within our brief time together, was through my maternal great grandmother, Addie Kingsbury Parsons, on my mother’s side of the family. (See Addie Parsons, #2.)

I have one vivid memory of Grandma Parsons, who’d been married for a long time to my great grandfather, O.D. Parsons. (Both have now been deceased for many years.) You couldn’t give grandma advance notice of a visit, or she would have a family-style meal ready for everyone (no matter the size) by the time of arrival. She was always busy around the dinner table (with her guests) like a bumble bee. Her pickled beets and eggs were my favorite food item that she made.

Eventually the whole Kingsbury clan arrived. Names and relationships were exchanged. Pictures were shown of relatives long gone (and several younger versions of my Great Grandmother Addie that I’d never seen before). Family trees were viewed, and updated with the inclusion of my family.

As we ate together (in a small banquet room), we shared the unique stories of our lives that are usually told to other family members that are of value to us. We laughed, reminisced over those no longer with us, and learned that we had many similarities.

I had now been officially incorporated into the Kingsbury family (along with my wife). I hoped we would see this kinfolk again so I could try better to remember everyone’s names.

Before our whole group left the Golden Corral Buffet & Grill several hours later, our fabulous waitress took several pictures of all of us with the many cell phones present. (See group,#3.). In this picture, that I knew at the beginning of this reunion were my mom and grandmother (row one), Bobbi (row two), and my aunt, uncle, and me (to the left of row three).

Hebrews 10:23-25 (MSG) alludes to the important function of getting together. If you search scripture, gathering (for fellowship or meals) was an important function in daily Jewish life.

Today, the tradition of “reunion” needs to continue (in the many forms that might take). “So let’s do it – full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going.

He always keeps His word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love, and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big day approaching [when Jesus will return for His own].”

Though this verse covers a lot of ground, there are a few things I wish to emphasize. For your own mental stability, it is vitally important to be transparent with someone who’s going tell you what you need to know not what you want to hear. If there is no one in your life like that, seek urgently to find them (like you would if you lost your cell phone).

Seek to bring others together by being an instrument of love and encouragement and helping. (You know that it’s the right thing to do.) Cause someone to become a better version of who they are just because they know you.