The Reunion | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: The Reunion | Previous Challenge Entry
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07/18/13
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The Reunion

Jo was excited. After thirty-one years of marriage, her husband and she were planning to take a vacation all on their own- no children nor extended family member would accompany them. A multi-state trip was planned. It had been lovingly dubbed their "friends and family tour". They had great expectations of reconnecting with people who had made a significant impact on their lives over the past few years.

The initial reason for planning the vacation was to accommodate a family reunion- an annual event for Jo's mother's side of the family. Her mother grew up with four brothers and four sisters. But over the years the aunts and uncles were now passing away and only three of those siblings were living. For the past thirty-one years Jo lived one thousand miles away from "home" and she was losing touch with those relatives and with cousins and nieces and nephews. Through those years, Jo's family had only been able to attend the annual family reunion a handful of times.

Warm memories rendered by past gatherings flooded her mind as she packed her suitcases for the long road trip. She expected to deepen past friendships, renew family ties and perhaps, for the first time, meet second and third cousins who had been born into the family in the recent years.

The day came when Jo and her husband packed the car and started out. Everything was running like clockwork. The road trip was fun, the traffic relatively smooth. After two days on the road, they arrived in Jo's "hometown". They met at a restaurant for dinner with her brothers and sisters-in-law. It was a gathering that Jo always looked forward to- a jubilant time when everyone was together again. It was good to be "home" again.

On the day of the family reunion, the large extended family gathered. The families of her Mom's brothers and sisters convened under a large picnic pavilion. Food was as abundant as the hugs, laughs and joy of being together again. Jo's remaining aunts and uncle poured out love on her and her husband. "This reunion with loved ones here on earth must be a glimpse of the huge reunion to come with the Heavenly Father and those who have gone before us," Jo thought to herself. It was a wonderful afternoon and one not to be forgotten.

It was always an art knowing how the connect with immediate family members, given the short time that Jo would be in her hometown area. After the reunion she and her husband would go to Syl's home. Syl's life was abruptly interrupted eighteen years earlier when her husband (Jo's brother) had been unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer. Within a period of two year, he succumbed to that disease. Syl and their three children were left to carry on without a loving husband and father. For the most part, Syl had done well with raising her children and holding down a career. It had been hard on them then and life was still hard to go though without him.

Jo had a special place in her heart for Syl and the kids, especially in the wake of their loss. But Syl and Jo's friendship had a history to it. They had been college roommates and through that relationship, Syl had met Jo's brother. Eventually those two married and Syl became family with Jo. They had always had a great sister-in-law friendship.

However, somewhere in the middle of this particular visit with Syl, the conversation took a surprising turn and Syl felt the need to dredge up unpleasant memories of their college days, making Jo the brunt of the painful times. She brought up the wiles of once immature young women. Jo was stunned! "Wait a minute," Jo thought. "Where is this coming from? Ugh, couldn't we just change the topic? " That stuff wasn't relevant anymore.

Jo had expected a more pleasant visit, that's for sure. But like a dog with a delicious bone, Syl kept on and on with the painful life review. What's worse, Syl's adult children were listening in. If they had ever held Aunt Jo in high esteem before, this definitely put different thoughts in their minds. Jo wanted to crawl under the living room couch. What brought on this conversation? Why was she still holding on to those things? Did she know how hurtful it was to Jo? What an unexpected turn of events this was.

Thankfully the topic changed and took a new direction, but the damage was done. Jo was steamed, hurt and disappointed. She had gone to Syl's home for a pleasant visit and now she couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Disappointment and anger gripped Jo for several days afterward. The thousand mile road trip back home from vacation was tainted with the thoughts of bitterness and confusion. But the trip was therapeutic for Jo, because with every mile traveled, some of the bitterness and anger fell away. Jo was reminded that what God expected of her was to forgive Syl. After all, God was continually forgiving Jo when she spoke words out of turn. He had forgiven her past and removed those sins as far as the east is from the west.
"Let it go, just like I let your sins go," she felt God say.
"But she.."
"Yes?"
"She insulted me."
"I know, let it go"

With that encouragement, Jo listened to God. The release brought an unexpected breath of fresh air to a stagnant soul. Jo was reminded of some of the verses from Psalm 103: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy... He will not keep his anger forever.. as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us."
The vacation which had been dubbed the family and friends tour now took on an even deeper significance because through it, an unexpected encounter with God had occurred. For Jo, it was a much needed spiritual growth curve.

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