We Are Family

Did you know that the latest studies show that there are over 2 billion people who claim to be Christians in our world today? Out of these 2 billion, 500 million claim to be of a “Protestant” belief. Did your idea of extended family just get blown out of the water? Mine did.

What do you first think of when you hear the word “family”? Do you think of lots of people around the table at Christmas, taking kids to the park in the summer or maybe having to fold bushel loads of laundry every other day? Do you think about past hurts, old/new arguments, or bills piling up? Sound familiar? Now think of your church family. Do similar things come to mind? Instead of Christmas dinners, maybe after-church fellowships. Instead of outings at the park, maybe weekend retreats. As for the laundry, well, somebody washes the drapes and cleans the floors. Bills come even to churches and, even thought we sometimes don’t like to admit it, we have all had our fair share of hurts and arguments along the way.

But what are some things I haven’t mentioned? The things that keep a family together – love, forgiveness, loyalty, and compassion. We have all had experienced being a part of a family. Some of us have had better experiences than others. Like it or not, as born-again believers we are all a part of a very large family. With that comes a unique blend of support and responsibility.

The “feeling” of family transcends any background, race, or culture. In all the different places I have been blessed to see these past months, every one of them has had a common thread. Every believer I have met I have had an instant and unbreakable connection with. I have been welcomed into strangers homes for the night without hesitation, given more delicious food then I could possibly eat in this lifetime, and been spiritually encouraged and held accountable. We might have our past differences or our own way of doing things, but in the end “family will out.”

Remember that each and every one of us is an equally precious child of the King. We are here to support and encourage each other – both here and around the world.

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” James 5:13 (NIV)