GO

WELCOME: This is the theme of Five-Minute Friday for this week.  Immediately, my mind went to “Welcome Home” as the theme of this meme.

WELCOME HOME: EARTHLY FAMILY

We have almost all of our family visiting this week.  It has been so fun as each family came in, to welcome them with hugs and kisses.  The children are all old enough to remember us from one visit to another now.  They don’t see us as strangers like they did when they were younger, but come and greet “Tata” and “Bapa Ron” with hugs.  With each arriving aunt and family, there are more cousins waiting to envelope the newly arriving cousins into the warm embrace of Family.  (The uncles that can make it are arriving later in the week.)

WELCOME HOME: ETERNAL FAMILY

Also, this week there has been sad news of a friend from high school who has been fighting cancer this past year.  By the time he knew he had it, it was well advanced.  He and his wife have ministered with Campus Crusade for most of their marriage and for (I’m guessing) about 30 years, they have worked through Christian Embassy in Washington DC.  Apart from a major miracle, Sam will soon be in heaven.  When he arrives, he will arrive to a wonderful welcome similar to the one we’ve had here.  (It happened on Saturday, July 2, 2011.)

Can you imagine the wonder of it all?  At one point you are struggling to breathe…the next, you are in heaven in the warm embrace of Family…the family of God.  His dear family here…and friends, will be heartbroken to say good-bye to him. There is no doubt about that! Fortunately, in terms of eternity, it will not be for long.

STOP

In case you are unfamiliar, this is what the Five Minute Friday is:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.

2. Go to GypsyMama and read some of the other links…and comment on the ones you enjoy reading.  It encourages the writers.

3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.