“No Christian is an only child.” Eugene Peterson
I am grateful for you. I might not know you, but I am grateful for you. I know that might sound odd, but you are a reminder to me of an amazing truth I often forget. I am part of a ginormous family.
I’m the youngest of five, but I’m not talking about that family. I love my family but I’m talking about a much larger, much more diverse family that I am part of. A family that is made up of many ethnicities, cultures, dialects, genders, ages, traditions, and stories. I love that my family does not all look like me, or think like me, or like what I like and prefer what I prefer. I love that my family has quiet ones, shy ones, loud ones, tall ones, short ones, funny ones, and ones that think they are funny but aren’t.
The family I’m part of is not perfect, far from it. Sadly, many mistakes have been made and many people have been hurt along the way. But I refuse to give up on my family because the One who brought us all together has never or will ever give up on us. My family has a lot to learn, a lot to repent of and, a long way to go, but I’m grateful I’m not alone in that process.
There are many things that I love about the family I am part of (imperfections and all), but the one thing that I love most, or I think I love most about my family is our dynamic of grace. I need your grace because I am so slow to learn. And you need my grace because you’re not the quickest study either (no offense).
I’m thankful that the One who brought us together has shown us what grace looks like, what grace feels like so that we all have an example to follow. And what I love about our commitment to show one another grace upon grace is that our Father will use that for the world to see the beauty of being in His family.
I don’t tell you all enough, but I am thankful for you. I am grateful to be part of His family with you. I love that I can call you brother and sister. I’m not sure if you’ve told anyone in the family this recently or not, but if you haven’t, reach out to another family member today and let them know just how grateful you are to be in the same family as them.
“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
