The Secret to Successfully Conducting a Family by Nancy Nair

As I ponder all that is happening around the world it makes me think about all the bad times when I was a little girl in the 40’s. Even though the world was in chaos; as I look back, I can remember our family being strong together. Even though we didn’t have any money, my father and mother seemed to have balance in their lives. I think what is nice about what my father and mother did was they brought fun into our world. As a child I remember going to church together every Sunday, picnics, fishing, going to our grandparent’s home, visiting family members, card parties, listening to the radio together. I think being together as a family is what enables us to go through hard times without causing destruction.

The secret to successfully conducting a family, even through crisis, is to start building family togetherness.  May I encourage us all to start doing things together rather than individually?

I love old books and old pictures that have meaning to them. I have a picture hanging on my kitchen wall that makes me feel so encouraged that there is a way to bring back family time. I know this old drawing was done years ago and things are not the same as they are now, but it shows a father who loves to share God with his children.

This picture is only one of several about The Ten Commandments and written in the 1924 edition of the Pictorial Review. The article was written and drawn by M. Leone Bracker. It says, “In this beautiful picture illustrating the fourth Commandment and vividly showing its application to modern life, Mr. Bracker has depicted a scene that cannot fail to have a universal appeal. Here in this peaceful home as we see the Book of Books being expounded to ‘these little ones,’ the thought instantly occurs that the influence of home-training like this must shed its beams far ahead and light up the pathway for these children in the years to come.” 

What seems to be missing today are fathers who make the time to show their children how important God is… in every aspect of their everyday lives.

I do know that family time is very important.  So let’s sit down with our children and talk with them about what we can do to bring family unity and harmony into our homes. Children really love to be involved in talking about what would make them feel like they are special, with a Dad and Mom who want the family to be their greatest priority.