Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore my family. God has truly surrounded me with a loyal and loving family, and they have been such a huge blessing in my life. God has shown me, especially over this past summer, that my family extends far past my family tree, and He reminded me of this truth this weekend.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is told his mother and brothers are waiting to speak to Him and he replies with a question: "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" (Matthew 12:48) He then points to His disciples saying: "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:50) This establishes a different kind of family- one perhaps not recognized by the world but clearly recognized by Christ.
This weekend, I had the pleasure of spending time with my Christian brothers and sisters in the Chicago area whom I had met in Haiti and spent a week serving and praying and spending time with. As I sat at my friend Deedee's kitchen table, I marveled at the fact that I had only known the people around me for a week, but I felt like I was home, and I knew they were my family. This truth can only lead me to praise Jesus Christ as we are all one in His body and also to worship the Holy Spirit for dwelling within us and bringing us together in unity. As I realize how much love fills my heart for these people, I know that this is only another small part of God's great love story.
