I come from a background where extended family took care of each other - nobody went into a home, nobody was abandoned. Then I moved to the States and people were putting their parents in nursing homes without a second thought. Paul's verse came back to me and I realized that was a cultural difference, not a spiritual one.
But the verse challenged me too. I'm providing financially, but am I actually caring? My parents live three hours away and I see them maybe quarterly. Is that providing? Is that family?
I've reorganized my life so family takes more literal time and presence. I'm not wealthy enough to hire everything out, so I help personally. My kids see me caring for my aging parents. That's providing in a way money alone couldn't.
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