Who's in Your Family?

Take just a moment before reading this post, close your eyes and picture everyone you consider family?
Obviously, everyone has a Mother and a Father and perhaps you have sisters and/or brothers, and maybe you pictured a few other blood relations such as grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. But did you also picture anyone not related to you genetically?

This past week, Pumla was on leave so I was back visiting clinics with Hilary with whom I have become very well acquainted with over the last couple months. It was during one of our morning clinic visits that a little boy in a waiting room asked her if I was her son. Clearly, I am not and could never naturally become tan enough to pass as her son, but it was a little boy who had most likely noticed me following her around the clinic all morning. Since he asked her in Afrikaans I could not understand the question or her answer but after we left the clinic she told me in the car what he had asked and that she had simply answers with an affirmative. I was very touched by her answer because I really have not known her very long in retrospect. She has four children of her own and three grandchildren whom she loves and praises to me regularly and I was most touched that she would consider me among them.

It made me start to consider who in my life I consider my family. My parents and siblings are a given, as well as my grandparents. But I then began to pick through my blood relatives, coworkers, friends, and acquaintances and found that God has blessed me with a HUGE family stretching across each of the above categories and reaching into many countries. I then began to consider all of my brothers and sisters in Christ and my family just multiplied into the billions across every continent. It is very common among South African Christians to refer to each other as Brother or Sister and I really like that because it is a true demonstration of how God’s love for us and Christ’s Sacrifice links us all regardless of boarders, blood and cultural differences. Mark 3:34-35 says this, “Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

So as you go out this week I challenge you to carefully consider your Whole Family above yourself and to be a support and inspiration to them as they walk alongside you on the paths of life.

I would love to hear your thoughts on our posts in the comment section!
Who in your life do you consider your True Family (Blood Relations or Not) and why?

Cheers,
R.