Tip of My Iceberg

Every man, woman and child has begun the same way.

I’m no biology wizard, but I do have six kids. It takes an egg and a sperm to make a human. The combined effort of a man and woman–however that might look.

We all have family–the biological reality that our individual gene pools are made up of those who’ve gone before us. We’re not something new that has appeared on the scene from nowhere. There are people in our background that impact who we are, what we look like, what we’re capable of.

We’re part of a bigger picture. Like it or not, families are part of us in ways we can choose to enjoy or choose to distance ourselves from.

I got to enjoy the amazing part of family this weekend.

My niece, Kate, is getting married to a genuine sweetheart of a guy named Alex. Mom, my younger sister and I hosted a shower for her at her folks’ home–my twin sister. We were surrounded by family, friends, people I’d never met and folks I didn’t remember.

But it was a celebration of family. One of our own is getting married, and we all came together to recognize the significance and enjoy the promise of hope that this represents.

Alex was a trooper. My family is a bit quirky–as all families are. Meeting aunts, cousins and a feisty grandmother can be daunting. We do get in each others’ business. We are more than a little opinionated. But he loves Kate. For that reason he did his best to get to know all of us.

Families are connected by a thread of DNA that runs through us and creates relationships that are binding. You may hate the fact that you have a nose like Grandma Gertrude, but you can’t deny she’s a part of who you are. It doesn’t matter if you like it or not. Truth is truth.

There’s a bigger family that many belong to who have chosen to be Jesus followers. We’ve discovered the love and compassion of a heavenly Father who chooses to love us. Who gave us His Son so we could be His child.

I guarantee you we don’t all agree. Or get along. Or like each other. Or trust one another.

The foundation of the family of God isn’t based on those He’s called children. It’s based on His character alone. Which means we who are His will always feel accepted. By Him. Never rejected. No black sheep. No unloved prodigals. No grudges held. No holding past mistakes against us. No comparison to someone else in the family. No failure. No shame. No guilt.

There’s only love blended with grace that makes us worthy of the One who made each of us.

Family isn’t easy. We’re different. We’ve moments of being cantankerous, ornery and disagreeable. But we’re connected.

Alex is marrying a wonderful gal and  becoming part of an incredible family. It won’t be perfect. But it’ll be fun.

Being part of God’s family here? It won’t be perfect.

But it’s rich, deep and diverse.

That’s family worth belonging to.