Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: ALONE (10/20/22)
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TITLE: In A Family | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jennifer Percell
10/27/22 -
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“Grandma, are they, our family? Like our aunt and uncle?” Ava asks.
My heart thrills at the opportunity to teach her. “Yes dear, they are certainly our family, but they don't have our name, or our blood like your aunts and uncles do.”
“That's confusing grandma”.
“They are in God's family Ava; we share the best Father ever known. Whenever we need people in our lives, we can always depend on our God family.”
Ava returns to her soup, and I return to a lifetime past. A little girl, riding a big red bus to Sunday school.
“You can't sit with us! This seat is for my cousins. You aren't our cousin.”
“You can sit with me. I don't have any cousins here either.” said the girl three seats back. “Is it your first time here? My name is Gail.”
“Yes, I am Amy.” I climbed up on the hot cracked leather seat and watched the teenager in the front leading a song. When Gail sang 'this little light' she held her finger up and circled it around.
“You should do the motions, that's what the teacher told me last week.”
I did the motions, I played all the games at VBS that day and I heard, for the first time, that Jesus loved the children. In time the three cousins became my friends, their mothers always made sure I didn't sit alone in church.
Before long I was ready and waiting for that bus every Sunday morning. One week my mother said I had to stay home. “Why do you always want to go to that church anyway, you should want to spend time with your family.”
Over the weeks and months that followed, I found ways to go to church whenever I could. I heard about the boy who killed a giant even though his brothers thought he was in the way, the boy whose dad gave him a colorful coat, but his brothers sold him to be a slave. The children the disciples tried to send away, but Jesus pulled them close. When my family laughed and called me saint Amy, these stories made me feel brave. It seemed like people who learned about Jesus didn't do mean things.
When they told me God wanted to be my Father, I was nervous. I wanted to know about God, but I didn't want a father, I already knew that was a bad word. I just wanted to be safe there at church, where no one yelled, or did bad things.
When I didn't understand what the preacher was talking about, I memorized the songs. The songs always said we would go to a better place. When I was in the basement doing laundry, I would sing about that better place. My favorite was about a garden where I could go when I was alone, and Jesus would walk with me there.
So many years ago, and now, here I sit, in the middle of a family. A precious husband, wonderful son, a daughter in law who is like a Ruth to me. And sweet Ava and her brother, gifts of a loving God.
But the others, those friends who Ava was trying to place in her world. In them I see the fulfillment of the promise of a loving God. The God who once sent a big red Joy bus to a lonely child. Yes, Ava, they are family, the family I have found on three continents, in five countries and in countless small churches over nearly 50 years. The family I have turned to for counsel, direction, food, a place to stay, to wipe my tears and carry my burdens. The family of promise, the beautiful bride of Christ, His radiant church.
My Father has fulfilled these precious promises over and over:
Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Psalms 27:10*
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Matt. 19:29*
God sets the lonely in families...Psalms 68:6*
*NIV
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