Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant." – Genesis 33:5

Today's Scripture Reading (August 31, 2021): Genesis 33

Our extended families are often a blessing. They can also be a curse, but I try to minimize those moments in my life. I have great memories of my extended family. An aunt first taught me the song "There's a Hole in my Bucket," written back in the 1700s, and that lesson came around a campfire in her backyard. I still remember that moment. The song featured my aunt singing the "Dear Henry" parts, while my uncle sang the corresponding "Dear Liza" responses. It was a good investment. I have since taught the song to my grandchildren, and it has become a requested tune whenever we get together, and now my grandchildren can sing it back to me.

Another aunt taught me the power of using a mirror to focus light in a room; it was her way of waking me from my nap. She also taught me the trick of dialing your own phone number to get the phone to ring a few seconds later, which we did until the operator told us to stop playing with the phones. (By the way, that is a trick that no longer works in our more advanced world.) But these are treasured memories for me, and memories that I only have because of my extended family.

In some ways, I have lost touch with my aunts and uncles as I have grown older. I moved away from the extended family, and the truth is that they no longer have any idea of who I have become. I also treasure the relationship that I have with my nieces and nephews, but even there, I am closer to some than I am with others. The falling away of the extended family seems to be one of the casualties of our more mobile contemporary society.

Jacob finally meets with his brother Esau. A lot has changed since the two brothers had been together. His mother and chief cheerleader, Rebekah, had likely died, although her death is not mentioned in the Bible. And while Isaac was still alive, it was Esau that was in control of the family. I sometimes wonder if, when Jacob left, he recognized that his exile would last over two decades? I also wonder if he understood all that his expulsion would cost him, but even more importantly, what it would cost his family.

But as the brothers come back again, Jacob has the honor of introducing his brother to the extended family. Esau gets to meet his nieces and nephews, and later Jacob would have the opportunity to meet Esau's children. Both men were given a chance to get to know who their nieces and nephews were. It was a great gift and likely one that neither brother realized they had missed until they were allowed to meet the rest of their family. In my imagination, Uncle Esau and Uncle Jacob had the opportunity to build relationships with the children and teach the lessons that we all need to learn, but that can only be taught by a loving aunt or uncle.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Genesis 34