You ever wonder what it's like to be adopted into a family? It's a very strange feeling. Especially when you already have one family and find yourself invited--make that adopted--into another one.
It's a completely different experience. At least for me. I'm used to feeling love from my own personal family, the one with whom I share blood. But being invited to share in the love of another family? I have never felt that before. Not until this year.
Now, I'll be the first one to tell you, my family is extremely loving. We love everyone we can and invite others to be part of our family. My mom has many "adopted" children and loves them all. But I have always been one of the natural children, not the adopted one. I never expected anyone else to adopt me. Never.
Then came college. I moved to Indiana, 20 hours by car and two time zones away from my family. It got a little lonely at times. My parents have very little money, so it's not like they can really come out very often. They usually save their money just to fly me home.
Maybe I shouldn't say a little lonely. Special events like Parents Weekend were torturous for me because I was one of the few students who couldn't have family come. Small breaks when my close friends would run home and spend time with their families left me longing for home and my family.
Loneliness hurts. It digs into your soul and makes a nest in the center, feeding you lies of how unloved you are. It even feeds me lies of how unworthy of love I am. Unfortunately, after a little while, the lies start becoming the truth.
But I was given a priceless gift recently. I was adopted by my best friend's family. Not in the court-order-slash-certificate way, but in the we-love-you-enough-to-make-you-part-of-the-family way.
I had no idea how to react to that. It was humbling to feel so utterly and completely loved, though I hadn't done anything to deserve it. It was a gift.It was given totally and completely unselfishly. I mean, when you're invited to come celebrate with your best friend's family on your best friend's birthday, even though he hadn't seen his family very much, you know you're loved.
For me, it's very strange. I have always been on the giving end when it comes to loving my friends, but receiving love and being adopted into a family is something totally different than giving. I was rendered speechless. I still am speechless in trying to express my gratitude and awe.
Now that I think about it, it's a lot like the way Christ treats us. We don't deserve love in any way, but He still loves us enough to adopt us into His family. We are loved by God, not just earthly mortals. I am loved by God. That's something that amazes me even further when I compare it to the love I already feel.
God's love is so astounding. So is my friend's. Maybe one day I can hope to in someway repay my friend for the love he has given me. I know I can never do that for Jesus.
Holy is the Lord and He is most worthy of praise.
It's a completely different experience. At least for me. I'm used to feeling love from my own personal family, the one with whom I share blood. But being invited to share in the love of another family? I have never felt that before. Not until this year.
Now, I'll be the first one to tell you, my family is extremely loving. We love everyone we can and invite others to be part of our family. My mom has many "adopted" children and loves them all. But I have always been one of the natural children, not the adopted one. I never expected anyone else to adopt me. Never.
Then came college. I moved to Indiana, 20 hours by car and two time zones away from my family. It got a little lonely at times. My parents have very little money, so it's not like they can really come out very often. They usually save their money just to fly me home.
Maybe I shouldn't say a little lonely. Special events like Parents Weekend were torturous for me because I was one of the few students who couldn't have family come. Small breaks when my close friends would run home and spend time with their families left me longing for home and my family.
Loneliness hurts. It digs into your soul and makes a nest in the center, feeding you lies of how unloved you are. It even feeds me lies of how unworthy of love I am. Unfortunately, after a little while, the lies start becoming the truth.
But I was given a priceless gift recently. I was adopted by my best friend's family. Not in the court-order-slash-certificate way, but in the we-love-you-enough-to-make-you-part-of-the-family way.
I had no idea how to react to that. It was humbling to feel so utterly and completely loved, though I hadn't done anything to deserve it. It was a gift.It was given totally and completely unselfishly. I mean, when you're invited to come celebrate with your best friend's family on your best friend's birthday, even though he hadn't seen his family very much, you know you're loved.
For me, it's very strange. I have always been on the giving end when it comes to loving my friends, but receiving love and being adopted into a family is something totally different than giving. I was rendered speechless. I still am speechless in trying to express my gratitude and awe.
Now that I think about it, it's a lot like the way Christ treats us. We don't deserve love in any way, but He still loves us enough to adopt us into His family. We are loved by God, not just earthly mortals. I am loved by God. That's something that amazes me even further when I compare it to the love I already feel.
God's love is so astounding. So is my friend's. Maybe one day I can hope to in someway repay my friend for the love he has given me. I know I can never do that for Jesus.
Holy is the Lord and He is most worthy of praise.
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