you can’t choose your family, they say. regardless of what they do or where they go, you are bound to them by blood. people you may never have picked as friends, you join with to celebrate holidays. yes, your family tree may be fractured, splintered and seemingly a pile of firewood, but you are still family. the same bloodline runs through your veins. you don’t have to grow to love each other, there is an instant, family-kind of love reserved for just this relationship. whatever it is, no matter how bad, you are family.
i live in india now, half a world away from my own family. but i have discovered another blood line i am a part of, another family to which i am bound. i wish i could explain to you the strange phenomena of being a part of the family of Chrst. there is something about accepting His sacrifice, washed [so to speak] by His blood, trusting in His love, that binds people together in away i’ve never known before…especially here in india. i know i experienced a similar connection back in the states. but here? here it’s different…deeper…stronger. people whose name i cannot even pronounce call me sister. those who don’t even know where kansas is hug me as their daughter. you wouldn’t believe what they sacrifice for each other and the way they love each other.
sometimes, all i have to do is just look in to the eyes of my new brothers and sisters to i see it, the joy, the passion, the purposes. they can’t hide it, then again, neither can i. nor would i want to. the blood, His blood, heals the brokenhearted and makes them whole. it sets free the bound and releases the captives. when you have experienced such freedom, such overwhelming peace, you don’t want to hide your secret for yourself. you don’t want to keep others from the Source. you hope the way you’re living will tell of the power of the blood, will point to Him, will spur others on in their search.
but you never really know.
all you do know is that it is real, it is powerful, and it is enough.
all you know is once you’ve accepted His gift of salvation and walked in His footsteps,
you really don’t want to do anything else.
all you know is that whatever it is, whatever the cost, however difficult, it’s worth it.
happy easter.
