Searching For Family

I realized writing this book that I have been searching for family all of my life.

My precious little granddaughter brought me to that realization one day as we traveled home from a Wednesday morning bible study when she was 3 years old. Every Wednesday I would pick her up. Some mornings she was eager to go and other times she’d complain the whole way there.

Usually we’d stop afterwards for lunch and enjoy a time of play for her in the children’splay area of our local Chick-Fil-A. Afterwards, driving down her tree lined street we’d play a little game called “Where do you live?’’ I’d start with asking her, as I pointed to a house, “Is that your house?”

She’d reply with a smirk, “No Mimi, I don’t live there!”“How about this one?” I’d question her, knowing that she didn’t live there either.“No!” She’d shake her head smiling with the look of truly knowing where she lived.

So on and on we’d go playing our little game until we came to her house. As I pulled into the drive way she’d grin and I’d say to her, “Is this it?” “Yes!” she said with an emphatic nod of her head.

“Oh my,” I’d sadly say, “No one lives here. Are you sure this is where you live?” My granddaughter would stick out her chest and say with passion and assurance,“Mimi, I have a family, I live here!” The tone of her voice, smile on her face and assured response helped me to understand and appreciate that my granddaughter really knew what “family” meant. I felt so blessed to see how God had worked in her life and mine for good and restored what “the locust had tried to eat!" Praise God.

Early in life I grew up without a mother and a father. When I became pregnant at 18 I was lonely and needed the loving protection and care of a family. Over the course of that season in my life, as I reflect on God’s goodness and plans for my life, I can see that He’d gone ahead of me and provided family. Different people played different roles as my needs arose. Family that sent me to college, marriage with children became my own family and finally I became an adopted daughter into the family of God. Yeah, God! I’ve joined the heavenly family with sisters and brothers in Christ.

I even enjoy surrogate grandchildren whom I love as if they were “blood kin!” When I count how many surrogate grandchildren I have, it goes way past my four and on up to twelve and counting. But it does not stop there. I have surrogate daughters galore and sons they are married to as well.

I have church family, ministry family and neighbor family and friends as family. I am richly blessed…I am more than richly blessed. Most of all I have Jesus, my Savior, Redeemer and Friend. So I praise God as the Head of my family.

I have a passion for ministering to women who are carrying around guilt and shame. Women who need the love and compassion of a loving family. I look forward to sharing with them how God can and will deliver. He delivered me as I once sat by the Pool of Bethesda broken, wounded, and sad. By His healing spirit I walked away free from guilt and shame. I am trusting that you, too, will be adopted into the one and only everlasting FAMILY OF GOD.