What makes family? It cannot simply be blood, right? When two people come together in marriage they are not blood related, but they become family. When a child is adopted there is no doubt the child is part of the family, but there is no blood relation. And then there are my brothers and sisters at Church which are my family, but not related by blood. Unless, you go to Church with your family. What actually makes you family with someone else?

I heard a story about a child in elementary school who was adopted. One of his friends asked him what it meant that he was adopted. The child said, “instead of growing in my mother’s belly, I grew in her heart.”

When I stepped down from youth ministry I knew that I would still be active in youth events and activities. I did assume that it would not be as much or as often because I am not directly working with students now. Boy was I wrong! Granted I don’t teach youth Sunday morning as much as I did, but I think I have been involved in some way with most every youth even we’ve had here at Mechanicsville Church of Christ.

I thought that going to my students games and competitions would also dramatically decrease. Yesterday at Church though, I was handed a schedule for field hockey for a couple students who play. The student minister, a youth sponsor, and I are going to make shirts and cheer them on like crazy!

Yesterday afternoon our children’s director had an end of summer pizza and popsicle party. It was awesome! Water balloons, slip n’ slide, inflatable water slide, and pizza! So much fun!! I found myself right in the middle of it all and having a great time!

Why am I still so eager to jump in and go all out with these awesome students? We’re Family. Not being physically born into any kind of family, but the family that grows in our heart. The truth is, family really is by blood. Not our blood, but Christ’s blood. What he did on the cross for us joins us all in a way nothing else can to make us all family. The bond I have with brothers and sisters in Christ is not based on the Church I attend, or denominations, or race, or socioeconomics, or age, or anything else except the blood of Christ.

Family can sometimes be annoying right? So can my brothers and sisters in Christ. They can drive me up a wall like only family can. But at the end of the day, we’re family. And we love family and would do anything we can for family.

Some of us have a great family and it can be difficult to see and treat everyone in the Church as family. It is difficult to be so close with so many different people. Some of us have a not so great family. They’ve hurt us and thinking of Church as family actually brings negative emotions and feelings. But we do not have an Earthly Father in Heaven, we have a Good Father in Heaven who has our best interest in mind. A Good Father who has promised never to leave or forsake us.

Biblically speaking, family means having the other’s best interest in mind. It means limiting your own freedom if there’s even the possibility of hurting your brother or sister in any way. It means sharing what you have because you realize the things you have are really your fathers and not your own. It means making a choice to love family because they are family. We grew in our Father’s heart long before we were born new in in the waters of baptism. Make every effort to support and love your family to the best of your ability.