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Q&A with Brenda Jank Brenda Jank knows firsthand that every family is different. She and her husband, Tim, are the parents of five chil- dren, three of whom were adopted. When her children were young, Brenda wrote the children's book God's Gift of Family to celebrate that not every family is created the same way but every family is created by God to be unique, diverse, and loved. Here Brenda shares the grace-filled wis- dom she has learned about God's gift of family. Q: How do you define the word family? A: There are many ways to define family. But for me, a family is made up of the people God places under one roof with the mission to love and be loved—to know and be known through thick and thin. Q: You often say that "families are miracles." What makes them miracles? And how can recognizing family as a miracle impact the way we interact with our family members? A: We know and hear, again and again, that each individual soul is a miracle, God's gift of life, and this is worth celebrating at every turn. But families are also miracles, stunning in design. Even though husbands and wives choose each other, God sets into motion the creation of a family through their marriage, birth, adoption, guardianship, foster care, and other adven- tures. Family is a collection of people God ordains to share the same address. Doing life together is the most important, and often the hardest, work of our lives. It takes grit, determina- tion, stamina, and intimacy with God. Family is where God has done His finest work shaping me into who He wants me to be by revealing (up close and personal- ly) my faults, failures, and misaligned priorities. Here Jesus meets me with His cross and forever changes each step of my way. I am a work in progress. So is the crew I live with. Q: Having five children, you know there's no single cookie-cutter approach to teaching and parent- ing. When it comes to teaching the faith to chil- dren with different learning styles, interests, and abilities, what should parents (and teachers of the faith) keep in mind? A: Bottom line: more is caught than taught. The num- ber one thing we need to do is fall in love with Jesus and do what we need to do to personally create a hunger for His Word. Write in your Bible. Include prayer requests and dates and highlights. These notes become river rocks (Joshua 4:4–9) that will allow you a lifetime of sharing with your kids all the Lord has done in your life. Also, pray with your children and over your chil- dren every night. Q: You said your two biological children were sur- prise miracles. What words of comfort would you give to couples who've been unable to conceive? A: Wrestling with infertility is difficult on good days and brutal on the hardest days. My ache drove me into the arms of God and the Book of Psalms. Many pages of my Bible are wrinkled with my tears. A great, comforting 28 Lutheran Life

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