blessed

I saw this about a week before I had the opportunity to live it again. 

We are blessed. I have lived the truth of Psalm 68:6, more than once. It says "God setteth the solitary in families". And for me, He has. He has set me in multiple families! 

I do not take that for granted! 

I have had to make hard choices to step away from biological family that is/was not healthy or a people who looked out for my safety and well-being.  I am sure they have made choices that they believed to be best for themselves, but they were damaging to me and would have been unsafe for my children.  

As a "solitary" person who has sought to love the Lord and His people,  I have been blessed to experience His unconditional adoptive love through His people.  The people He has placed in my life for me to love and be loved by. 

I am always amazed when the families of those I love like family accept and me and my kids rather than being threatened by our presence in the lives of their parents and grandparents.  Why? Because of how possessive my grandmother was. Because of people who have made comments like "I could never (claim a non blood relative as family)". Because me--who would claim me??

The miracle of Christ is i have found not a family that is glad to claim (me) us, but families! One of those families came to visit the Mom and Dad last week. Three generations of family welcomed us and made us feel like they expected us to participate in all the family activities we could. 

I enjoyed every moment. Opportunities to visit with each family member, meeting some for the first time and enjoying others as the friends we've become. Smiling as I watched the matriarch enjoying the sights and sounds of her grown grandchildren and their spouses visiting and laughing with each other. My heart taking comfort in hearing my daughter refer to her "uncle" and "cousins" with excitement as she recounted sharing her hobbies and interests with them. And feeling great appreciation and thankfulness as i watched my son go exploring in the desert he has come to love with his "cousins".

Not just because these titles fit, but because it's comfortable.  It feels more like family with this family than with those we actually share blood with.

It's true : "Blood is thicker than water" the blood of Jesus is thicker than the water of the womb. 

I praise Jesus every day for the families He has placed us in. Without them we would certainly be alone. 

God is good!

We are blessed!!