I loved growing up in a large family! There were eight children under one roof and only one bathroom. In spite of the challenges and the discomforts of sharing bedrooms and even beds, I would never trade it for anything. Not everyone would say that about a large family but for me the benefits of always having something to do and someone to do something with outweighed any of the hangups and difficulties. We weren’t the perfect family but we learned how to get along with each other.
Strict rules and routines with structure made it workable. My favorite day was Saturday because it was laundry day. This usually meant throwing all of our clothes to the bottom of the stairs and for entertainment we would take a running leap into the pile as my mother attempted to sort through various colors. Breakfast was usually on the go as we hurried to catch the bus for school. Sunday meals usually offered plenty to go around but during the week, if you missed the call for supper you may not have anything to eat but a dry bowl of cereal; that is without milk.
We always kept the line of credit at the local country store next door and there were those evening emergency errands in the dark because someone ran out of toilet paper. We were often fighting for leftovers from my dad‘s lunch but we called this family.
All of us were expected to get jobs at an early age to help pay the family bills. My first job was when I was ljust 9 years old. It was a job helping a neighbor lady every day after school and on weekends trim bushes and mow grass or working at her marina cleaning boats and repairing the docks. We shared responsibility from year-to-year passing down our newspaper route from sibling to sibling. Each of us had a responsibility for custodial work at our church. It’s hard to believe but we did this for over 25-years. Each one of us took turns with the responsibilities from the time we were children until we were adults.
There were times when groceries were delivered to our home from the Salvation Army. When we went shopping our shopping cart was filled with generic foods. I remember seeing mostly black and white cans while all of my friends had colorful carts of food. In that day generic foods were packaged in black-and-white labels. No one will ever forget the annual occasions of living in a floodplain area near the shores of Lake Erie. We got hand-me-downs and second hand clothes. My parents were stressed but we called this home.
We had lots of fun as children making our own entertainment. I can recall times fishing off my back porch as bluegill swim by when creeks would run over and the lake would flood into our backyard. On occasions we would take all of the items we could to the second floor of our home because water was going to come into the house. We loved hiking through the swampy back yard and wet & woodsy playground. We called this an adventure.
When I started a family of my own, we would eventually have foster teens live with us. At one time we had eight of us living in the same home. I considered it just like my childhood home. My wife called this ministry. The neighbors called us crazy seeing not only our natural children but foster teens as well. Like my childhood, they were plenty of adventures and things to do.
The home was busy but orderly. Even at times when we would have 15 or more gather around our dining room table as foster kids and their friends along with our own children would sit down for supper. My wife had a standing invitation that welcomed anyone in our home but for meals you had to arrive by 5:30 pm if you wanted to eat supper with us. For a while our table was too small to accommodate everyone. Eventually a member of our congregation brought over pictures of a used but new to us dining room set that was being given away. That was an answer to prayer and an upgrade. That meant that everyone could be at the table at the same time.
Even with having eight in our household at one time there seemed to be room for more. Our home was full but yet we thought, eight ain’t enough. Cindi used her gifts of hospitality and helps to nurture and love those in our family. Even though she didn’t grow up in a large family she seem to adapt comfortably to meet the ever-growing needs of others. There were times where it seemed like chaos, when things were unmanageable but there were timeless when it seemed like the calm before the storm. We grew to depend on the Lord for everything. In a sense, paraphrasing a quote by Chuck Norris, we lived life never knowing what the day would bring but we knew the One who brought the day.
I look back with fondness as I think about those years early in marriage with an appetite for ministry that was bigger than our resources. I believe that everyone in our family was impacted in a positive way through the experiences of ministry life. We each learned to do a lot with very little. In ministry we discovered that the benefits outweigh the sacrifices. Of course we had to share a little more and cooperate to make everything work out in a busy household. Whether it was coordinating transportation for the kids or managing limited resources and even having to manage conflict and crises, we realized the opportunities before us. We called this ministry.
No matter what the opportunities are before you, God will lead and provide for you at the right time and always on-time to meet your every need. You might call it family. Some may call you crazy. You might see it as an adventure. You may even define it as ministry. When you follow God‘s Will you live a life filled with blessings and hopes. It may not always be easy but with God’s help you can make an eternal difference.
