January 4, 2016

Who Is Your Family?

 

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure -- Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT)

Who is your family? We tend to think of family as those who are related to us by birth, marriage or adoption. Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it’s just labels that have nothing to do with the heart.

There is another family that believers claim: the family of God. We are blood family, united by the blood of Christ. Our forever family, to borrow a phrase from a recovery group at our church.

Last year was tough. With both parents hospitalized (in different hospitals, of course) and cows, geese and dogs to care for, I was overwhelmed. My family by birth didn’t show up. My blood family, my forever family, came.

Two dear friends hurried to the hospital as I sat in the ER with my Mother, who had suffered a heart attack. Did I mention it was a holiday weekend and they were taking much needed time off?

I was amazed and humbled by those who came during my parents’ hospitalizations and recovery. They visited. They called, They sent cards. They prayed. Again and again. They were there. I needed their support desperately and they were there.

And it didn’t end. When my family of birth tried to destroy us all, they stood firm. They never questioned my heart. They rallied around us. They showed up. They stayed. They gave their time. They loved us without question.

We think sometimes in terms of our “church family.” I have an awesome church family. But this went beyond my church. This was a faith family, a blood family, of different denominations who rallied around us. People who live their faith through love and time and caring.

So who is your family? My family are the people who actually showed up to help. They are the ones who put action to their words. They are the ones who loved, not just with their hearts, but with their hands and feet. My family is the family of God, those united by the blood of Christ. I am so blessed!