Family and Knowing Each Other

Last week my wife Joyce and I were able to spend a few days with some of our children and grandchildren. Living over 6 hours away from them means that I don't get to see them nearly as often as I would like. The older grandchildren know that when grandpa comes it's time to get tickled, do the roller-coaster and earthquake in the big rocking chair, and get horsy rides; all the fun grandpa stuff. The younger grandchildren are always a little more restrained at first because grandpa isn't there very often so it's almost as if we need to get to know each other again. Thankfully, as they get older this happens less and less. Wednesday evening, as we walked in the door, Carysa, our daughter Marie's youngest girl, who was really shy last time I came in February, came running up wanting to be lifted up and hugged! However Madison, our son Jacob's youngest daughter, kind of looked at me and figured mommy was a safer bet, at least for the first evening anyway. By the time we left on Saturday, even Madison was comfortable with grandpa again. It took time together again to build that relationship of trust, to get to know each other again.
It strikes me that it's the same thing in our relationship with God. I often hear people say that they don't have time to engage in devotions during the day; that life is so busy that taking time to connect with God through reading the Bible or praying or getting together with a few other followers of Jesus to learn more about who Jesus is and what he taught. I'm thinking that their relationship with God must be similar to my relationship with my grandkids; they know I'm somewhere, but I don't have much impact on their lives except for a few days at a time where we get to play and rock and sit with each other. We love each other, but don't really know each other all that well.
When our relationships are based on occasional get togethers, how much impact do we really have on each other? I don't have much influence or impact on my grandkids' lives because I'm not part of their daily, or even weekly lives, I'm just a visitor in their lives. Their parents have the most influence in their lives and I pray that my influence on my children's lives carries into my grandchildren's lives, especially in their relationship with God. But as I look within my own family, I'm reminded that I also have a Father that I need to visit with regularly, who wishes to have an impact on my life, to show me what the new life through Jesus looks like; Jesus, our oldest brother who came here to lead us back to our Father and heal that relationship which had been broken. Father is always there, waiting for me to want to visit. He sent us a beautiful letter to help us know him better, but wants more personal visits so we can get to know each other even better. The big thing is it needs time, time out of our so often busy lives, and yet time that we can't afford not to set aside if we really want to experience what it is to be his daughter or son.
Are you only a visitor with our Father; do you want more? Does following Jesus really make a difference in your life; change who you are and impact your values and how you live? It's only going to happen if you have time together; a choice you make.