Family ties....

If I could give one piece of advice to any engaged couple, it would be to look at the extended family of your intended, and see how they treat each other.  It will tell you a lot about your future spouse, as well inform your decisions about holidays and special occasions for years to come.

I have been blessed in that I was lucky enough to marry into a warm and loving family.  From the first occasion I spent time with them,  my in-laws have treated me as one of the group.  I have never been made to feel that I was late to the party, and have never been treated as an outsider or an after thought.  They have been so gracious and welcoming, it has been easy to join the crowd and feel a part of things.  It is a priceless gift, that kind of easy acceptance, and I am very fortunate to be the lucky recipient.

But family is more than just people related, occasionally gathering to eat and have a few laughs, (although that is fun, to be sure.)  God provided family to support us while we journey through life.  They uplift, they encourage, they love us and they travel with us as we make our way through the world.  They are the face of God in human form, and we see his love for us through those who love us.  In Hebrews 12:1, we read,

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us...."

God has asked us to join his family, and it doesn't matter whether we are new or we have been a part of it forever, just so long as we come.  We are all equal in God's eyes, brothers and sisters in him, and he welcomes us with love and acceptance whenever we join his party.  Together, our heavenly family, like our earthly family, surrounds us with the armor of God, helping us to resist the temptations of the temporal world and keep our sights set on the sacred plane.

Today, in this season of Lent, when I am thinking about the sacrifices Jesus made for me, I am grateful for everyone I get to call family.  This great cloud of witnesses that surrounds me and encourages me and uplifts me is far more than I deserve, and I am thankful for each and every one.