We take many things for granted every day. In the more advanced countries, we can easily take for granted waking up in a nice warm bed, hot showers, electricity, jobs and the vehicles to get us there. We can take for granted such things as families, movies and sunsets. In fact, it is so easy to concentrate on the things that we don't have that we often don't give due credit to the many things that we do have. It's easy to forget that many people do not have many of the things we so often take for granted.

Lately I've tried to single out what I have that has influenced my life and that has helped shape me into the person that I am. As I thought about it, it was easy for me to pick out one special time that I know I have taken for granted. That special time is Friday night dinner.

Some of my fondest childhood memories go back to Friday nights around sunset. I can remember that we always had a tradition to eat together as a family. Comings and goings during the week and the hustle and bustle of everyday activities often didn't allow much time for family bonding. But Friday night, no matter what else might be going on, was a special family time for us.

Friday Evening Family Roles

With our traditional dinner came our traditional individual roles. My sister and I always argued over who was to set the table—a chore we became exceptionally proficient in passing down to our two younger brothers. Our mother always somehow found the time to cook a scrumptious main dish and only on a few occasions did we have to take the batteries out of the smoke detectors.

Dad picked out his favorite classical music and adjusted the volume on the stereo so that everyone could enjoy its melodious sounds. I tossed the salad and my sister would put it on the table while my brothers chased each other around the house until they were caught and sentenced to sitting in chairs.

Over the years, things have stayed favorably the same, with few exceptions. My sister no longer shares in Friday nights because she attends college in another state, and I have to travel a few more miles because I no longer live at home. But no matter what time I arrive, I know that as soon as I open the door, my mother will be cooking something delicious. I know that Dad will be playing Beethoven or Bach. I can imagine my brothers still chasing each other around the house until they get reprimanded. But I also know that as soon as someone lights the candles and calls everyone to come to eat, that another Friday night has officially begun.

Dad says a prayer and we all raise our glasses in a toast of coming before God to celebrate His Sabbath and in thanks that He has helped us through another week and brought us together again.

It takes a little while to eat, probably because while we indulge in the treats that Mom has prepared, we all can't wait to tell each other all the happenings of our week. After we have all cleaned our plates, the men get the pleasure of clearing the table while the ladies load the dishwasher. It is amazing to me how the men always seem to get lost on their route to the kitchen to help.

After dinner comes my favorite part. When we were younger, it was a time to tell our parents just how little we knew about our Bible lessons or how much less we knew about our memory lessons. We would play Bible trivia or take walks around the neighborhood until we were tucked in with a Bible bedtime story.

I learned a lot about God's ways and the lessons of the Bible on those evenings. I learned to look for the rewards of tomorrow and not just the sacrifices we make today. Most importantly, though, I learned about the wonderful family that I have and how truly blessed I am to have them. I've come to see that I often take them all for granted.

Different Activities Now

Now that we are all much older, we play a little less but talk a lot more. We talk of the weeks gone by and of the weeks to come. Sometimes we pull out the old photographs and look at where we have been and where we are in life. We laugh at our mistakes and appreciate the progress that we have made.

It is a time to reevaluate our lives and to create ways to make ourselves better individuals. It is a time of sharing our hopes and dreams and a lifestyle that few are fortunate enough to even know much about. It is a time to get advice or just sit by the fire and share a peaceful silence.

Recently I went to a friend's house to pick something up before I headed over to my parents' house on a Friday afternoon. My friend's father entered the room and asked if I was going out for the evening. I smiled but told him that I was spending the evening with my family as I do every Friday night.

He couldn't believe it! He told me I could probably sue my parents because I am over 18 and they legally can't keep me at home with them. I told him I didn't mind staying home on Friday nights. He looked at me with a funny expression and asked, "Karie, you mean to tell me that you would rather stay at home with your parents on Friday night than go out and party with your friends?" I didn't hesitate before I nodded agreement and told him I looked forward to Friday nights all week.

Even now that I no longer live with my parents, I still look forward to going home for Friday nights. It is our special time that God gave us—no one should be able to take it away. I'd like to thank my parents for making Friday nights such a wonderful time. Those times did much to shape me into the person I am today. I just hope that some day I can create the same atmosphere of warmth and godly love for my children.