Grapes of Wrath and the Abels

John Steinbeck's THE GRAPES OF WRATH is a story of the Joad family. Forced from their farm during the Depression, they headed to California with thousands of others to pursue a dream and ended up as migrant workers.

Both of my parents experienced the Depression in different ways. However, they raised a family who always had plenty.

Nevertheless, there is an Abel family photo that reminds me of the Joad family. Maybe, it's the black and white muteness, maybe it's the expression on our faces of being just a little bit worn out.

The shirts my brothers and I are wearing were made by Mom. The jeans, although store-bought, were patched by Mom. The rugs inside our house were made from carpet bag rolls and coal kept our house warm in winter months. Our bellies were full of a harvest from the garden adjacent to the house. Our minds were filled with scripture read by Dad after a supper meal. We were a unit. We worked as a family. Chores were divided, purposefulness was not a issue; we didn't understand the word "boredom." There were no gadgets to entertain or bombard our eyes and ears. The activities were mainly family focused: Farm Bureau potlucks, a church picnic at a camp, after-lunch family softball games, and times with grandparents.

Although there were fights, the bonds existed for practical and spiritual sustenance. We were a unit and our unit was part of something greater which we understood when we ventured off to school each fall and headed to church every Sunday.

I got thinkin' how we was holy when we was one thing, an' mannkin' was  holy when it was one 
thing. An' it only got unholy when one mis'able little fella got the bit in his teeth an' run off his own way, kickin' an' draggin' an fightin'. Fella like that bust the holi-ness. But when they're all workin' together...--that's right, that's holy. [from THE GRAPES OF WRATH]

Although the Joad family struggled to keep their family together, they were also fighting for the rights of their fellow man by organizing migrant workers, sharing their resources, etc. so that the unit would be stronger. The GRAPES OF WRATH illustrates the significance of sticking together, working together.

Scripture tells us that we are One in Christ. 1 Corinthians reads, "There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. ...You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it."

I'm so thankful for my parents, my siblings, my growing-up experience.
The world is so different today.
But I think we have something to remember  from our past that we can share in a variety of ways in today's world.

Sticking together, 

working together, 

remembering we are One in Christ, 

and always praising God for the promises He has given us.