For many people, this summer is a time of joyous reunions. After so much time apart, we get to take great joy in seeing loved ones who live far off in person again. That is certainly true for my house- hold.
- My father was finally able to visit us here in New Jersey just after Easter. We will hopefully see a little more of him here over the next few months, and will be visiting him in Maryland in August.
- My mother-in-law also made her first short visit to us around Easter, coming from the Washington, DC area, and we are currently planning when in June she might be able to visit.
- Meanwhile, my mother, who lives in Los Angeles next door to my brother, will be spending a few weeks of July with us.
It is an exciting time for parents, grandparents, and grandchildren to get to spend time with each other. As helpful as phone calls and Zoom sessions are, it is not the same as having an evening sitting around together. I am sure many others have similar joyful visits planned for this summer. We have the added excitement of welcoming the family members to our New Jersey home for the first time. It is so much easier to talk about the things going on in our daily lives once someone has visited us and has an image of the places we are talking about. Summer is often a time to slow down a bit and enjoy relationships; may this summer be a particularly joyous version of that for all of us!
—Pastor Eric