Tip of My Iceberg

With the whole family here for a length of time, we had the opportunity to interact with quite a few different activities, games, and outings.

We’re all a little tired; the cousins have had free rein with video games and the rousing competition that happens when they all get together, we’ve been eating a lot of “unnecessary” foods, and bedtimes have been flexible. I feel for the parents as they go back home, detoxing from noise, sugar, and late nights and try to reestablish healthy home habits.

One of the many things that has been fun is the creativity of our kids to come up with games that everyone can play and enjoy. Our New Year’s Eve was marked by Reindeer Games, a group of competitions that were wacky, wild, and accompanied by a lot of laughter and screams of delight. We paired up the grands who went head to head to pick up marshmallows between cups placed on their hands, wheelbarrow races with the littles trying desperately to carry the bigs, and games with raw hotdogs that defy description.

It wasn’t a typical New Year’s Eve celebration, but we made it our own, taking into account the ages and personalities of those who were playing. Everyone had a great time because we did everything together.

Nobody was left out.

Isn’t that what we long for in the world? To belong, to feel a part of something bigger than we are? To be included in a family or community or group of any kind gives identity to us as individuals. We weren’t created to be loners; we were created to be belongers.

Belonging is our most significant need to promote security and sustained joy. Professor Roy Baumeister, an American social psychologist, has said that the healthiest, most satisfied individuals in life are those who have a place to belong. It’s not an address, a social standing, or an accumulation of things. It’s having people in our lives that love and accept us.

God understands this need perfectly–He created us for community. He longs for us to be part of His bigger family–not one we’re made to be part of, but one we choose to join. “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him.” 1 John 3:1. God has created a family that crosses all age, sex, ethnic, socio-economic lines and causes us to be part of eternity with Him. In Jesus we can find true belonging because He knows us fully and accepts us freely no matter what we’ve done in our past if we receive His gift of grace.

Jesus demonstrated inclusion among the most undesirables in Israel. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector in Jericho during Jesus’ life. Tax collectors were hated and shunned–they were Jews who often cheated their own people for their own benefit, and they worked for Rome. Zacchaeus was not only unpopular but was also seen as treasonous to his community. Jesus embraced him instead of rejecting him–He saw a man who needed healing, not harassment. When Jesus told Zacchaeus He’d come to his home for a meal, the man was beside himself. Here was the Messiah, seeing him, wanting to share a meal with him. His response? “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Luke 19:8

We’ve all done things that make us undesirables, but Jesus never turns His back on those who love Him. He embraces us in His community of love and acceptance.

Our family has the wonderful distinction of really caring for one another. We’re a community because of blood and choice.

Jesus creates community with anyone who will turn to Him.

No competition for space in His family.