In the “good old days” a family reunion was commonplace. In today’s world, a chance to get together with your relatives is rare. Most families in this century hardly know each other because of the miles that separate them. I am fortunate to have two of my children living in close proximity, but one is far away in another state. Still, we manage to get together at least once a year.

I remember family reunions which included what seemed like a hundred or more relatives that I’d never met before. There was potato salad, fried chicken, yummy desserts and homemade ice cream – all sitting in the hot sun, collecting bacteria of all sorts.  You were introduced to complete strangers and expected to instantly bond, because you were connected by blood. You shared some of the same DNA with these strangers, after all.

The generation gap gets in the way as well. The elders need walkers, canes or wheelchairs. The middle agers compare career notes and successes, while the adolescents are left to their own devices – literally. The toddlers are often watched by the grandparents or the younger children. Generally, this is an occasion to reunite as a family. Maybe your politics don’t match up. Perhaps your lifestyles are completely different. You might find common ground to kindle a conversation, but you know you’ll remember little of the event after it’s over. The miles will continue to separate us. We go back to our old ways of living and realize that family doesn’t necessarily mean blood. We find that those within our own private lives are often more like family than those who share our ancestry.

You aren’t a family because you share the same background, beliefs of blood type. Being in the family of Christ, we are protected and saved through His blood. His precious blood, which was shed for the remission of all our sins. Because of that, we can look forward to a joyous family reunion in heaven.

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY AHEAD!