Only God Can Hold Our Family Together
This year, Teng Hong and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. I can safely say that without God in our lives, we would have gone our separate ways long ago, given our vastly different temperaments and preferences. As I told our daughter on her wedding day 20 years ago, "In Christ, all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17), and this has indeed held true for our family through the years.
My husband and I were both baptised at the same time in Hinghwa Methodist Church in 1987. I felt led by the Lord to become a full time homemaker in 1989, to our two children, then 9 and 12, to bring them up in the way of the Lord. God's Word to me at baptism was, "I will make up to you for the years the locusts have eaten" (Joel 2:25).
And indeed He has. Today, both our adult children are baptised, and married to fellow believers. Our daughter and son-in-law serve in the local Baptist church in Glasgow where they live, and their 15-year-old daughter has just joined her mum on the church worship team with her violin.
It is about God being top of mind in circumstances as they present themselves.
Now, as grandparents, God in our family takes on an entirely different complexion, especially when our children are living apart from us, in their own homes, and in our daughter's case, miles away in Glasgow. Thankfully, I do get to see them a fair bit, as I spend about four months each year in Glasgow, and the three grandchildren spend almost their entire summer holiday here. When I am with them, as much as possible, God's injunction in Deuteronomy 11:19, that you are "to teach these words of mine to your children" is not far from me. And so with the two younger ones, aged 10 and 12, I get them on to their Lectio 365 devotion before school, bless them before they go to bed, give thanks to God when opportunities arise, and pray for them in times of need, as when they hurt themselves or search for things. It is about God being top of mind in circumstances as they present themselves. For the 15-year-old, it is more challenging, so I seize the opportunity when I drive her around, to pray with and bless her in the car. And whilst I am in their household, I hope they can see in me, Christ-like attributes of servanthood and sacrifice, patience in exasperation, grace in disagreements, joy in simple things and little acts of kindnesses and of love.
But, as Teng Hong and I see it, the best thing we can do for our family, God-wise, is to pray, pray and pray. Teng Hong tries his best to send to our children devotions, sermons and messages which he finds meaningful to them, but realistically, as adults themselves with demanding careers and their own individual walk with God, I find that the best thing we can do for them is pray "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" into their lives.
At the end of it all, I find that if God is to loom large in my scattered family, there are three things I have to do intentionally on my part:
walk daily with God;
pray over them and
role model Christ to them, that they may see Christ in me, the hope of glory.
Only then, with Christ centred in my life, and Teng Hong’s, can we lay hold of God’s promise that in Christ, all things, including our family, hold together.
Yeoh Chee Koon
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you have something you would like to share on this subject, please write in to mayoon@singnet.com.sg, as we think it would be a good way to encourage each other to have God’s presence prevail in our families.
