Every once in a while, I need to remind myself of the gifts God has blessed given me. Wading through the mounds of destruction that I seem to always be doing, it is easy to lose sight of the good things in my life. When I say things, I mean people.
To say I have gotten myself into a higher than average number of dysfunctional relationships is an understatement. That is why it is easy to give God credit for all the relationships currently in my life which are good and healthy. And it is fair to say that I have had a difficult time embracing the church body as family.
I think I have made it very clear that I have no relationships within my family of origin. That's right, not any contact with them. What is worse is that only now, in my mid-30s, am I learning what healthy families and what normal parent and sibling relationships look like.
God gave me two brothers by blood. My relationships with them have never been anything close to what I have seen as healthy or normal. There has been abuse and strain because of growing up in an abusive home. It is fair to say that I have lived a long time without knowing what it was like to have a brother.
Growing in faith, I have learned the difference between God given and God gifted. And, yes...there is a difference. It reminds me of James 1:17, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
I have been gifted with an amazing brother in Christ. Whenever I share my thoughts about this with anyone, it brings tears of joy and now is no exception. Tears of joy aren't yet that familiar to me, but I know them when they come.
There is so much I could say about this person. My husband and I both consider him to be one of the most genuine and caring people we have ever met.
He is encouraging and usually at times when we need it the most. He is an excellent teacher, who is patient and is always willing to answer questions. He has a sense of humor, but also gets my husband's dry humor which hardly anybody gets. His friendship is valued by my husband but he sets a Christian example for Kent which makes a noticeable difference in his life.
He has a wonderful wife who is caring and warm. Her smile is contagious and such a blessing to know. I have seen her go through some difficult times and is an inspiration to me when I see how deep her faith is during those times. She was the first person to ever point me to the body of Christ when I so desperately miss having a family. I am so thankful for her as well.
Without going into a lot of detail, I can say this person has walked along side Kent and I both through some incredibly painful times and circumstances. He has been there for us when we needed to talk or just needed someone to treat as if we were any other person, putting aside the oddities of our lives. He has helped us in so many way, too numerous to count.
It is possible that God knew I would need to see and live with real examples of brother or sister-like relationships for me to fully understand the depths of the dysfunction I stepped out of by leaving my family behind. Only in comparing an unhealthy relationship to a healthy one truly opens my eyes to what God intended for me or wants for me now.
I am so thankful for the gifts God has given me. It is a gift I pray I never take for granted and I always remember the profound effect it has had on my life. I hope I am always grateful for all he has done and how he has allowed God to use him in mine and my husband's life.
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