The Olde Ways

I know that it has been a while since my last post, but it has been both because I have been incredibly busy, sick, and just thinking instead of writing. The thing that has been most on my mind is that I miss the old ways of doing things. I miss the old times. My family has always joked that I was born old, but I fully agree with them.

I like the old fashioned things. For instance, I have always loved pocket watches. My parents bought me a lovely pocket watch for my birthday. It is a mechanical one with exposed workings. This, as well as a conversation we had earlier in the week about lost words and terms got me thinking about old ways and old ways of doing things.

I know that I can't go back to the old days, but we CAN go back to the old ways. We can make things the way that they once were if we choose to work to make it so.

I miss the days when the church was an integral part of the community. I miss the days when you went to town and saw families together. I think the most endangered thing in this world is the family unit. It is getting to the point where people don't even tolerate each other on Christmas Day. They can't wait to get out of the house and away from their family.

People spend all day long with texting, and email, and facebook, and all these different things. Now, these things aren't wrong in and of themselves, but the overwhelming time that is spent on them should be spent with family if possible.

I know that we are all guilty of this at times, but there are people who don't even see each other except over their various screens. What happened to the art of conversation? Or even listening? What happened to the family sitting around, talking about their day or even reading a good book but being able to enjoy each other's company?

My mother and my sister love watching "The Waltons". Now, growing up, I never really cared for the "walnuts" as Matthew and I called them, but as I grow older I grow to like watching it more and more. The thing that I like the most is that you see the family in a warm, loving manner that is totally unlike anything on TV today.

Now I know that the "real" family doesn't solve problems, and have stories wrapped up neatly into little, one hour portions. I know that families aren't the happy, perfect family that is seen in "The Waltons," but isn't that love, and happiness worth the hard times?

Aren't the times of frustration, and the times of hard work worth having a loving family? I love my family, and I know that they love me. I love having my family around me, and I love the simple, old fashioned life that we have. No, we are by no means perfect, and yes, we do have our times where it is more work than reward, but the reward is always more than worth the work.

People, your family is the best thing you can possibly have aside from a relationship with Christ. Take time to cultivate that relationship and that love with your family. People come and go in your life, friends will come and go, and even loves will come and go. Your family is what you need to concentrate on along with Jesus.

You may have everyone else leave you, but you can never cease being a part of your family. The ties that reach from your heart to that of your family can never be fully broken. Your family is not perfect either, and those ties that bind may be stretched, but if you work to strengthen your family, they will not be broken.

And Jesus will never leave you either. We can see all-throughout Scripture where the Lord says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

I have been told many times in a negative way that I am old fashioned, but I think that being old fashioned is what we need. The old fashioned family, the old fashioned church that the community sees as a solid rock, the old fashioned people who are seen as trustworthy, and the people who give their word, and it is their bond. That is how we need to be. We need to get back to the Olde Ways.

Just my two-cents.