Reflections

Our children are in many ways a reflection of ourselves. This can be fun, as our kids are constantly looking at themselves wondering who they look like. Like this photo of Kels and I taken recently at the Denver Zoo. She was pleased to see how much she and I look alike.

Yet at times, this image is not so good, as our kids mirror our flawedness in addition to personal and physiological similarities. Not because they chose to, but because it was handed down often unconsciously. This is a hard reality. It is difficult to see our own weaknesses reproduced in our kids. In my case it is the things that I have attempted to overcome for a lifetime.

Lately, I have been reflecting on my own heritage. Specifically, my childhood and with that comes vivid images of our own family. Families do impact who we are. I see this in myself as I reflect on the childhood I lived. I also see it daily as I deal with my own children in day to day life. This is a beautiful reality in God's design when the family is balanced and healthy. Today, more than ever we are seeing a drastic break down of family. A healthy family is not the norm but more the desire of many attempting to raise their kids in this world that is so different then the one we lived in as kids.

God has blessed our family in many ways. I am eternally grateful that He is at the center of our home and we are trying to seek after him with our whole lives. I thank him for this family He has given us and that we remain together at a time when marriages and families are considered disposable. Despite the daily challenges our family faces.

I am exploring the things that my heritage has handed down to me and now to my family through me, both good and bad. I hope to understand how these things have impacted my life and also how they are impacting our lives as a family today. I have no doubt that this discovery will be raw, however I will hope in the fact that the truth will set us free!

What has your family heritage given you and how is it being mirrored in your life today?