Editor’s note: Michelle Gooding is a new addition to the area ministers who rotate writing columns for religion pages in The Free Press each Saturday. This is her introductory column. In addition to being pastor of Herring Grove FWB Church and a Woodmen of the World representative, she and her husband Vincent Gooding have a 1-year-old daughter, Viya Elizabeth.
I am reminded of the words of my late father, who recently went to be with the Lord at the ripe age of 90. He said many times, “Don’t give up on your family regardless of what the reason.”
My Bible reads in 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” At my family gatherings, we joke about not picking our family but loving them anyway. True, but some family members require a little more work than others.
Within the fabric of our families, we may find several reasons that can cause us to give up and stop investing love in one another. Don’t give up, look up. Look to God who is able to help us and steady our hearts while knowing Christ loved us in spite of our sins and wrongdoings. Love them anyway.
Whether your family members are blood relatives or chosen, we should take time out to enjoy them, encourage them and love them in spite of their beliefs, their choices and their lifestyles. Love them deeply and reverently.
Our family in many instances can push us to the edge. They can cause pain and worry. Yet those same people can cause us to perform at optimal levels and calm us in the midst of our storms. Love them deeply and reverently.
We sing a song in church that always causes me to reflect upon the lives of my family and friends: “Time is filled with swift transition — Naught of earth unmoved can stand — Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.”
Things happen so quickly, the cheese moves and we must move with the transition, as Spencer Johnson discusses in his 1998 motivational book, “Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life.” This song causes me to reflect and appreciate relationships. This song reminds me to express love to my family deeply in this moment because transitions may forfeit my opportunity to share my love.
I’d like to challenge you to be certain your loved ones know how much you love and appreciate them today. Tomorrow is not promised but the present gift of today is available.
You may not have called them for some time now. Your visit may be strained, but I certainly admonish you to make sure they know you’ve decided to follow God’s instructions to love each other deeply, to love in spite of …
Michelle Gooding is pastor of Herring Grove Free Will Baptist Church in Kinston. She also is a representative with Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Company. Reach her at mvgood@gmail.com. The opinions of the guest columnist are not necessarily those of The Free Press.
To be a guest,
The Free Press guest columnist feature appears every other Wednesday. Would you like to be considered as a guest columnist? Contact Managing Editor Bryan Hanks at 252-559-1074 or at Bryan.Hanks@Kinston.com.