Like a Family Reunion

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29, ESV)

As the time draws nearer to the beginning of our new life, I become more overwhelmed with anticipation to meet a group of people who I already feel is my family.  Only a couple months ago we received a list of names of the people we would be spending much of the next four years with.  Immediately we began gathering together on Facebook to start to pray for one another in this time of uncertain transition and to simply get to know each other so on our first day of school we wouldn't feel like strangers.  Now, as I think about that upcoming first day, I am filled with excitement to more personally embrace my newest friends.   

It is one of the outcomes of the gospel which I value the most.  When we make some of the bold decisions in obedience to our Lord, knowing that we have a family of God who is striving to do the same and understands your heart is such a blessing.  And to be able to expect and to long for that relationship with a group of people you have never met is a testament to God's work in each of our hearts.

How incredible is it that we who are so different all desire the same thing and will learn to trust and depend on one another for at least the next four years!   That's the power of the gospel.  God brings together people from different cultures, of different ages, with different skills and interests, and He uses us together to make His glory known in the world.  No matter how different we are, we have Christ as our commonality; and when Christ is supreme in all of our hearts, we will all get along wonderfully.

I can't wait!

A few of us are starting school a little late, bringing our families with us.  Others will still be getting the ink to dry on their high school and college diplomas.  Some are world travelers, some are Minnesota lifers.  Some have served as pastors and youth leaders, and some have ministered in the inner-city or adopted children into their family.  I feel like I've gotten to know so much about them already and meeting each other for the first time this summer will be like a family reunion; complete with some good ol' Minnesota hot dish on a balmy 75 degree day, dont'cha know.

I am anxious to finally sit down together with my new brothers and sisters and hear how God orchestrated all things together to bring us together for this time.  This softy will have to sneak in a box of Kleenex.