The Family of God

My mother and my brethren are these... -Luke 8:21a

Recently I reposted GPC's picture of the baptism of Eleanor Russell. Eleanor is the infant daughter of Justin and Tori Russell and nothing blesses my faith quite like this reminder of our covenant relationship with the God who has sworn by His own Being never to fail in His promises to us.

A high school classmate saw the post and commented, "Welcome to the family of God, Eleanor."

As I witnessed the vows spoken by Tori and Justin (and by we congregants of Grace Pres.), I was reminded once more of this precious family into which we have been adopted.

The nature of our culture is that our earthly families scatter to the four winds and grow apart many times. Indeed I have an aunt, my mother's sister, whom I adored as a youngster. And though she lives less than two hundred miles from here, it saddens me to say that I haven't seen her in nearly a year.

Brothers, sisters, children; we are separated by time and distance and whatever else may arise to come between us.

Prayer is the thing that binds us in spite of the distance between us. I lift them up daily, separately or as a group (daughters, grandchildren, siblings). I pray for their safety, for their health, for their general well-being.

Most of all, I pray for their salvation. Not being part of their day-to-day lives, I depend on God's promises for children of the covenant and His faithful ness to answer our prayers. It may be that in His mercy and wisdom, He will attend to the prayers of this unprofitable servant.

In the meantime, I am so very blessed by the love of my adopted family. Even as I pray for God's mercy for my natural family. That they too might truly become my "mother and brothers," my sisters. my children, "these which hear the word of God, and do it."