Who Are Your People?
Our people are the folks in our family and our circle of friends. But we have another family made up of lots and lots of people, most we have never met. Let's talk about this big, happy, heavenly family and see how much we have in common.
All families have stories to tell! Some stories tell about heroic deeds. Some tales are funny, or epic or sad or embarrassing or even tragic. Family stories are threads that keep us tethered together and part of the group! These stories help us to belong. These are our people.
Like most families, we have more than our share of family stories. I know stories of relatives who passed on far before I was born.
And we keep building up our family history by adding our own stories to theirs!
I recently took the Ancestry DNA test and what I found out was so interesting. I knew my heritage was Hungarian, German and Polish. And probably English too.
The surprising DNA result was finding out I am also Russian, Austrian, Scottish, Irish and Sweedish, Estonian, Latvian, and Dane.
The Sweedish part thrilled my son. As a teenager, he thought he had to be part Viking! And to his great delight, he was right!
So if you look at the map of the world, my ancestors, in somewhat recent history, have not moved very far!
The DNA test actually gave some authenticity to family stories claiming we came from gypsies and had a relative called Washie Tillie from deep in the Appalachian Mountains whose people most likely migrated from Scotland before the War!
So I guess you could say these are my people!
But these people are not my only family. Oh, no!
I also belong to an eternal family.
I’m studying the book of Ephesians and am overcome by knowing…
HE (GOD) PREDESTINED US TO ADOPTION AS SONS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST TO HIMSELF. Eph 1:5
So God, before He even created one single thing, marked you and me out to be adopted BY HIM into His eternal heavenly family as sons
Through Jesus Christ! These three words…
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
We gain entrance into our earthly family by birth. Just by being born, we enter into a family. We have no choice. We get who we get as relatives!
However, we are not by natural birth children of God. Oh no! We are His creation but not His child.
Just like birth gives us entrance into our earthly family, to become a son or daughter of God we need to be born into it too! But not the earthy way.
To become God’s child and enjoy countless riches, blessings, and inheritance we must experience a second birth or be born again into His family through Jesus Christ.
When we accept Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross in exchange for our sins we then and only then are born again and adopted as God’s own son. A spiritual birth of great worth!
No matter who you are or what you have done or who your family is God wants to forgive your estrangement and open His arms to you. Whether you know it or not He is pursuing you and wooing you!
Because of His kindness and grace, even before He created one single thing, He desired that you be His son or daughter! God wants to be your Father!
The word SON, in verse 5 of Ephesians 1 above, in Greek actually means a grown son (or daughter). Not an infant. A grown son can say yes or no to the offer of adoption. In other words, God has given us free will and a choice to accept or deny His offer.
You have a choice. You can be part of the family of God or not.
God will not force you or make you be a part of His eternal family! So you (and me) are left to choose.
I chose Jesus long ago and I have a huge, diverse, forgiven family! We are messy and often sinful but we are all striving to look like our Father in a very broken world.
And oh, what family stories I can tell!
I have thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads of family stories to learn about. Some of them are in our family history book called the Bible!
And someday soon we will have this huge family reunion that will go on and on. I can’t wait to meet my Father and God! I can’t wait to feel His LOVE for me face on!
I want to have lunch with Abraham and have an epically long talk with a king called David. I want to meet my amazing relative Deborah and sit with the woman at the well telling her we have some things in common!
I want to hold hands with Mary and together share our mother’s heart!
I want to be in a book club with Martha and Mary and Rahab and Ruth and maybe even Washie Tillie! And I want my earthly book club to be there too!
I want to sit at the feet of Jesus learning with John the Baptist and Joshua and Daniel and hopefully Nebukednezzer and many more!
I’ve never met Billy Graham or the apostle Paul or Constantine’s mother Helena but I’m sure we will get to know one another well!
I want to hug my Nani again and see my Daddy laugh!
I want to meet all my eternal family and hear their stories. Because these are my people. We are God’s children. Adopted into the family through Jesus the Anointed One!
How about you? Are you part of my family? If not I hope you join! God is calling YOU right now!
To know how to join God’s family through faith see…
HOW TO KNOW FOR SURE YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN
This week’s verse to ponder…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us Hebrews 12:1
Yvonne, how wonderful to know your heritage. How wonderful to know Jesus! I too am in that family of God with you. You are such an inspiration. I do enjoy your posts. Thank you for sharing you’re a wonderful writer.
Good Morning Yvonne. Such a lovely message today. I would love to met Washie Tilly! But on the more serious side your reminder of how we just need to choose to follow Christ and that w are all of god’s family never grows old. Messages of Love and Hope are particularly poignant this year. Thanks as always.
Yvonne, learning my DNA heritage was a confirmation – 98% Byelorussian and 1.5% Greek. I shared the results with siblings and cousins, who where thrilled with the confirmation. We are all children of God in this vast universe. Thank you for your enjoyable posts and exceptional decorating ideas. Will your decorating now reflect your newly-found heritage? Now back to on-line church…
Hooray! We are sisters living in His grace!
Thank you dear sister in Christ.
Yvonne – How fun to think of sitting down for a visit with those Biblical individuals! What a wonderful promise.
I would like to be there in a little corner a bit close to God and everybody I have bumped into in life. I used to tell my grannie I would like to see all my friends and my favourite singers, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Montserrat Caballé… there singing for all of us! However, I still have lots of things to do here before that time comes, I hope!
Thanks for this very inspirational piece of writing again. I hope you have the best week ever, full of good feelings and strength against adversity,
Charo
Hi Yvonne,
Thank you for being such a caring person. Your messages are so inspirational; and yes we are all part of that big family provided by our creator. Thank you for sharing, Happy Sunday! God’s blessings!
Loved this post……so good in so many ways! So positive and so hopeful! Thank you and blessings to you and yours!
Thank you for the DNA post. I laughed, I cried, and I was blessed. You shared God’s plan of salvation in a wonderful, creative way. Blessings.
Hi Yvonne , I just woke to read your beautiful post this morning . I have been very privileged to meet many Christians from all around the world and we do feel as family . The most wonderful thing is that we don’t see colour , what we look like ,what we have , our cultures or social standing as a threat or barrier . We are all brothers and sisters in Christ , being made into His image and as you wrote , adopted into His family , cared for , provided for , loved equally and without any favouritism . If only those who don’t know Him through adoption , knew that all of what they are fighting for and striving for is totally attainable through Jesus .
Angie, you are so right! The love of Jesus is the ONLY way we can have peace. It’s all about one heat at a time turning to Him!
Good Morning Sister! Funny story. Our family had a story about one of our ancestors that was an American Indian princess that fell in love with a white boy in North Carolina. We even had the picture of the great great grandmother that was said princess. I also had my DNA tested and was when the results came in it confirmed… wait for it…. NOT ONE DROP of Indian blood in this very anglo girl. I was so sad. I can, however, say with full confidence I have the bloodline that is most important and that is the one of Jesus Christ and that is all that matters. I am the daughter of THE King and I am more than good with that alone.
See you are a princess after all!
Love this post! And, yes, we’re related through that heavenly bloodline! I did the 23 and Me DNA test and was surprised. I had always been told we had American Indian blood. A great aunt had traced our family line back to Pocahantas! Turns out I have less American Indian heritage than Elizabeth Warren!!! When I told my mom, I almost died when she said, “But your dad had such high cheekbones.” :/ I was surprised by the amount of German, not surprised by the Irish and Scottish since my paternal grandmother was a Morris.
Blessings…
I also recently did my DNA and have been able to connect up with many people I did not know I was related to. My husband did his also only to find out he has quite the history. His cousin has done extensive research and has been able to trace his ancestry all the way back to…Thomas Jefferson… Who would’ve guessed that! I love The Lord with all my heart and also look forward to the day when I can walk and talk with Jesus and see his face as he is. I think I would like to also meet Ruth and have a long chat with her along with Mary and Mary Magdalene. There are so many that I would love to meet and I certainly would love to have a very long conversation with Paul…… I admire him for the way he stood strong and never gave up. I pray for that same kind of strength each and every day.
I also recently did my DNA and have been able to connect up with many people I did not know I was related to. My great grandmother’s first name was Camcedilla…. My husband did his also only to find out he has quite the history. His cousin has done extensive research and has been able to trace his ancestry all the way back to…Thomas Jefferson… Who would’ve guessed that! I love The Lord with all my heart and also look forward to the day when I can walk and talk with Jesus and see his face as he is. I think I would like to also meet Ruth and have a long chat with her along with Mary and Mary Magdalene. There are so many that I would love to meet and I certainly would love to have a very long conversation with Paul…… I admire him for the way he stood strong and never gave up. I pray for that same kind of strength each and every day. I treasure God’s words and treasure his commandments. I trust in the Lord with all my heart and pray for understanding!Like Paul I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
Praising God for adoption into his family! For Jesus whose sacrifice made it all possible!
I want to meet that Shumannite woman who exhibited great faith!!
Me too!
Thank you for your wonderful message on your heritage. I am glad to know that we are all a part of God’s family. Hope you have a wonderful Fall weekend.
Thank you, Theresa. I am too! Happy Fall
Since I first started reading your posts, I have always wanted to meet you for coffee or lunch Thanks for reminding me that one day we will do just that. I often comment that I love all of your decorating and home keeping ideas, but Sundays are the best. So full of joy that you are my sister and we are part of God’s family.
I love your family newsletters. I too have been a child of God many years. I have similar requests when I meet Jesus; I want to sit and listen to those who went before me. Thanks for sharing your heart, your sister in Christ, Vivianne
Maybe we will go visiting together Vivianne!
Thank you for this post. My husband passed away this past week. We have a small family and most are gone now. It was wonderful to be reminded that I am part of a larger family and you are a dear sister.
God bless you, Terri! I am so so sorry for your loss dear sister! I am praying for you! I just lost my only sister and best friend the end of August. It’s been a terrible blow!
Just another member of the family……..won’t it be wonderful there.
Yvonne, your Sunday message is written so Beautifully. I Too am a follower and beleiver in Jesus. So I guess that makes you my sister in Christ. . And it’s so interesting to hear about your heritage I too have Scottish, French, Italian Heritage.
Yes, it does! We are part of an amazing family!
Thank you for your beautiful words; never can have too many reminders of our heavenly family.
Amen, Barbara!
What a lovely summary of our relationship as a heavenly family that starts HERE! Thanks sister!
You are welcome!
Yvonne, I enjoy your blog and decorating and recipes. I have also taken the DNA test from Ancestry and found it fascinating. I was told that my mother was half Irish and Dutch and my father was was Lithuanian from Shenandoah, PA. The Ancestry DNA test showed that I’m not only Irish but also English, Scottish and Welch, German and that my father’s relatives came from the Baltic Islands which is near Latvia and Estrovia.You and I have similar ethnicity. Another thing you and I have in common is that we’re both Born Again and a child of God. I look forward to meeting you some day and if here during this life time but in our Heavenly one.??
Mary, we do have a lot in common! Yes, I’m sure we will meet someday!