It's A Family Thing

15 years ago I married a Greek. Little did I know how much my life would change. You see, when you marry someone who is Greek, you don’t just marry a  man, you marry into a family and a culture. 

When we first got married, I knew very little about what that meant. I had been exposed to some of it while we were dating but, that was just scratching the surface. Over the years, I’ve learned how to cook Greek food, and I am learning how to read and speak the language (slowly). I’ve learned about the celebrations and because we visit Crete regularly, I know how to find my way around, ask for things (in Greek) and I understand a little about the culture…what’s important to them, what’s not. I’ve learned that while I am there I have to change the way I do things because the way I do things in America, are done differently in Crete. I’ve learned mannerisms and nuances…..like this slight nod people (at least my family) do which means “no.” (Who knew a nod could mean no?) I have stories; some funny, some not so funny, of me learning all this stuff.

Recently, it occurred to me that this transformation of being Greek by marriage is similar to becoming a Christian. When you first get to know Jesus, you start out not knowing anything about being a Christ follower. The things you care about are different. The activities you do don’t seem to be in line with where you are going. Sometimes, it feels like you don’t fit in - like you are an outsider. 

As you spend more time with Jesus each day, you begin to learn things. You adopt different habits, talk about different things, what you care about shifts. You begin to identify with Jesus and what he cares about. There are stories, both funny and not so funny, that happen along your journey. 

One of the blessings that I had when I got married was an amazing Greek family  that helped me. They showed me things; taught me to cook (thanks Mom), explained different traditions and nuances, corrected my pronunciations of words and most importantly, loved me. I never felt like an outsider. 

Hopefully, as you walk with Jesus and learn about Him and His “unforced rhythms of grace”, you have a Christian family that will help you do the same. A family that will walk with you on the journey, always include you, share Jesus with you with their love and actions and help you feel included.

If you don’t have this….go find it. It makes the journey so much easier. The journey with Jesus is supposed to be full of ease and grace. (See Matthew 11:20-30 MSG). We aren’t supposed to walk this alone. It’s always about the relationship with Jesus. The relationship with Him and with the people you call “family”. Super important when you are learning to live this new life and even more important after you’ve been on the journey for a while. We all need each other to grow.

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that “the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” Philippians 1:3-6 (MSG) Find someone to walk it with and lean into the grace that helps you keep walking. 

The Village

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:1-2 (NLT)

I have two grand kids. I adore them. They live with their two loving parents who both have very demanding careers. They love their children and do everything they can to spend as much time with them as they possibly can but in reality, they can’t be there 24x7.

So, they have a Village. The village consists of Nannies, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, God Parents, and Friends. The Village is very active. First, it is always there to spend time together, eat meals, play, tell stories, share hugs and kisses, kiss boo boos and in general lend a hand raising up these blessings. The Village is active in everyday life. Some members are around a lot, some come and go but they are still part of the Village. They are trusted.

Sometimes, the Village is called on to do extra service. For example, if an emergency at work pops up, a call is made to the Village to see if someone can help. If something happens around the house that needs care, the Village is contacted.

This system works really well for a couple of reasons. One, everyone involved is there because they love each other. No one sees it as work or a sacrifice. It is a gift to be able to be involved and it is a blessing to be able to help. Two, everyone has one goal when they are present in the Village. The goal is to grow people in the Village to be responsible, productive, Jesus loving adults. Notice, it’s not only the kids who get care. Everyone in the Village needs love. Everyone understands this role. And while we each do that job a little differently, we all do it with the same motive. Love.

That’s how I see today’s verse. We as the Body of Christ (Jesus’ Village) each have a job to do. We are to love each other the way Jesus loves us. It’s not work; it’s not “ministry”; it’s not something we have to do because we have the name Christian. It’s something we do because we are in love with Jesus. It’s something we do because we love each other.

And just like when one of the grand kids starts to veer off track, we should gently and humbly love each other back on track. Humbly because we ourselves easily veer of track and gently because we are called to love each other the Jesus way. Helping each other back on track is not about pointing out each other’s faults. It’s about sharing the burden, lifting together and making sure we each become productive, responsible, Jesus loving Spiritual Adults.

That is the law of Christ. It is the law of Love.

Family Focused

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

I am adopted. I was adopted very early on in my life and I’ve known about it since I was young enough to understand. Recently, I’ve found out more about my birth father and more siblings have been added into my family! I went from having 9 to having about 20 (maybe a little more.)

This whole experience made me think about Jesus and his lineage. It was super messy. In Matthew 1 there are some questionable characters mentioned. Maybe this is an example of why the Bible says he experienced the same things we do.

It also says we were adopted us into his family. God did this - before we even knew what was going on and it gave him great pleasure.

Jesus knew this because when he was asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!” (Matthew 12:48-50)

Imagine that! How many brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers do we have now? TONS! And think about all the potential family members you have. Anyone who could choose Jesus as their Savior is a potential family member.

Maybe today, we should treat everyone with the love Jesus showed us when he adopted us. Maybe, we should look around and see all the family members we have and lean in and embrace each other. Jesus did. So should we.