We’re Family

How do you define family?  It’s different for everyone.  The way that our individual families operate help us define normalcy.  It’s only once you get older and more observant that you realize that all families do things in their own way.  Our families have their own cultures and sets of principles that they use to function.

Anyone that is close to me knows my family.  That’s the way that I do life.  We see each other often, and there is food involved 99% of the time.  We are loud and opinionated.  And we welcome people into the family with open arms.  (After they complete their initiation….let’s be real…LOL)  Once we accept you, you belong to us.  You’re family.

We don’t do in-laws or steps.  You’re just one of us.  I thought that was the way that all families operated.  I think my first time realizing that we were different is when a friend asked if it was my aunt or uncle that married into the family.  My friend was always around the family.  She said that it occurred to her one day that one of them had married into the family, but she couldn’t tell which one.

I then began to be more observant of the way other families operated.  I started to listen to the language people used to describe family relations.  I had personal experience being a step-child.  So, I’m familiar with the concept of not “belonging” to a family, but my family of origin set a standard that I used to measure every other family.

Personally, I think our definitions of family make it difficult to accept that we’re all one in the body of Christ.  Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, straight, gay, crazy, sane, rich, poor, pretty, ugly, mean, kind.  Once we accept Jesus, we’re family.  If your family has a tradition of not being as nice to the step-kids or in-laws, you are going to struggle with being one with believers that aren’t exactly like you.  It takes work to change our distorted images of what family really is.

I’ve paid for enough therapy to know that there are some people that you can’t necessarily welcome into your personal circle.  Some people are dangerous for your mental, and sometimes, physical health.  But there are some people that are just different from you.  And we are charged to be ONE body in Christ.  Hands are useless if they’re not connected to the arms.  Arms need elbows to be able to bend.  YOU need healthy relationships in order to really flourish.  Get mad at me if you want.  I can take it.  We’re family.  #wepreach