THE SPIRIT IN YOU
The Power of Family
Article by Dr. Tunishai Ford
the church or our communities, at least not like it used to be several decades ago. We do not even have extended families anymore. There was an era in our history when it was unheard of to place an elderly parent in a nursing home or allow a child in the family to go into foster care because no one wanted to be bothered with raising that child; this would affect his or her lifestyle. It was an unwritten rule that family stuck together no matter what. Have we forgotten what really matters or are we just concerned with our own well-being? Do you think the family was created just to fill up the earth? Trust me when I tell you this, God could have placed us all on an island by ourselves with a few essentials and that would have been the end of it. I think sometimes when He looks at what is happening to the family, He probably wishes that He had placed us on our separate islands.
Some years ago, as I was traveling down Eureka road on my way to my doctor's appointment, I noticed an elderly gentleman waiting at the bus stop with several bags near his feet. For some reason his presence stood out to me and I wondered why this man was out there alone. Where was his family? I thought to myself. I just refused to believe that this man was in the world without another soul that had the same DNA. As I pondered on this matter, I began to think about the many situations that are so similar to what I witnessed that day. There are many people in the world who are related to someone, yet they are all alone or they do not have anyone in their lives for whom they can depend on.
As I passed the gentleman, I looked back at him through my side view mirror and said, "I hope he will be okay." For a few weeks, I have been really thinking a lot about family and its importance. I began to think about the reason I believe God created this extremely important entity. I came to the conclusion that it is for far more reasons than just coming together to celebrate birthdays and family reunions.
Unfortunately, the value of families is no longer a pillar of unity and hope for society. It is no longer the strength of the