It's a smalll world!

"She's my favorite first cousin."  We were in Missouri on our way to church.  We'd just parked in the visitor's space and a man noticed our license plate.  He introduced himself and explained he had recently moved to Missouri from a town two counties from us in Iowa.  We started the "do you knows."  He had family in Marshalltown and we discovered he was related to a friend of ours!

It's a small world!  In a sense we have "family" everywhere.

When Adam was very small we lived in California, very far from the grandparents.  Yet he had plenty of grandparents.  Adam knew he had "Papa" in Kansas City but at home he had "Papa Reese" (Maurice) and "Two Papa" (Ed).  Everywhere we lived our friends had kids that treated Adam like a sibling, with the good and bad that goes with siblinghood!  So on an occasional basis, Adam had a break from being an only child.  As he was a teenager, there were mature adults who took an interest in Adam in a "grandparently" way.  I so enjoyed seeing Jim G. intently listened to Adam and give him a  pearl of wisdom and know that it rang true to Adam.

In chapter 3 of Ephesians we are told that every family in heaven and earth derive its name from God. That means, to me, that

I belong,

I am protected,

I have an inheritance,

I have family wherever I am on earth,

I have family in Heaven,

I am never alone.

In Hebrews chapter 2,  I am reminded that the One who makes us holy also makes us family.  Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.

God has provided me with family everywhere I go.  I have the big sisters, the almost mothers and little sisters everywhere I've lived.  Those people put flesh to God's promise to always be with me.  He sends part of "The Family" the minister to me.

No wonder "It's a small world" in Disneyland is my favorite ride!