After Christmas, when we are more in touch with our families and then moving into the New Year, do you, like I do, reflect on our relationships with them? I live rather far away from both of my sisters, and our brother lives even farther afield. Each of us has chosen different paths that brought us to our far-flung locales, but what about family – are we missing a closeness because we are physically separated? It makes me wonder.
One of the things about being away, especially from my nieces and nephews and their children, that makes me sad is that I am unable to nurture what little bit of faith they may have. Being able to speak into their lives would give me opportunities to bring up the name of Jesus and to tell how He has changed my life. To be a witness and a reminder to them of the very essential need for a Savior.
I have chosen the Jersey Shore for my home, but this choice has denied me the opportunity to share often with my family what is most important in my life – Jesus. Occasionally I do have the opportunity to visit my nieces and nephews, but that does not happen often.
This Christmas, when I reached out to my two sisters-in-law (one a widow and one through divorce) to chat about Christmas with their children and grandchildren, I sadly realized that as the years have gone by it appears all influence of faith has been forgotten. There wasn’t an indication that either family had even spoken of or recalled that Jesus’ birth was part of the Christmas celebration that they shared. They celebrated a completely secular Christmas.
My heart is broken. I know as a family we are separated by many miles and we don’t speak as often as we might, but the distancing of these families from one another and from God has struck me as though a knife has penetrated my heart. If I have any legacy to leave I want it to be my faith in Jesus. This is something I must share while I am still on Earth, but how?
The nieces and nephews and spouses are in their 40s. I have written letters telling of my love for them and my love for Jesus. I have sent these letters along with Bibles after their visits, and yet I wonder what more might I do? I pray, of course, asking God to have mercy on my family and to bring those I love into the fold of faith. He may grant my prayers, but is there more on Earth that I should do, I wonder.
And then I consider all the families in Cape May County that are separated from their families – certainly the Coast Guard – and many others living here. Those are the ones I must tell of my love for Jesus because they are the only ones I can easily access. And so I must “tell it on the mountain” or at least “tell it on the seashore” that Jesus Christ is born and that He came to save us.
My cousin’s son works for Youth With a Mission in Oregon in a college town. Tim sends me weekly updates on his work. He teaches classes on evangelism to students and then takes them into the field. He has created close friendships with local leaders of other religions in their town, and so he takes his students on “Temple Talks.”
They visit the various houses of worship over the course of their classes. They go to Buddhist temples, Sikh temples, Jewish synagogues, etc., to speak and ask questions of those leaders. They are putting feet to their classroom learning. This is what I need to do – put my feet into action to tell others here about Jesus. I must “bloom where I am planted.”
Thankfully many revivals are happening across our nation. I recently read that there has been a surge in Bible purchases, which are up 22%. That tells me that God is working in our land, and I am praying that He has assigned someone to my family. Many young people are hungry to learn more about Jesus. Sadly, others are complacent about their status here and into eternity. My job now is to pray for God’s merciful hand to move across this nation and change those hearts that are complacent into hungry hearts that want to know Him and also ask that my family be part of that group.
Reflecting on this, if Jesus is also your Savior, please join me in sharing the Good News of Jesus with our neighbors this year – maybe you will speak to my loved ones.
Editor’s note: Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City. Email her at writerGoodGod@gmail.com.
