A Reflection on Belonging

There’s a strange feeling that settles in when you live with family, yet you’re not quite “family.” For the past few months, I’ve been sharing my cousin’s home, surrounded by love, yet aware of a subtle difference. I’m close in age to her kids, but there’s a line, a sense of being a “second citizen” even amidst the warmth. This experience made me see things differently, particularly in regards to my own childhood.

Back then, my uncle lived with us. He was welcomed, part of the family, yet sometimes my younger self found his presence during family meals or outings an intrusion on what I saw as our intimate family space. Looking back, with the weight of my own experience, I can imagine the unseen isolation he might have felt. Accepted, yes, but always aware of not being blood.

This realization struck a chord. It made me reflect on the concept of being adopted – not just within a human family, but within the vast family of Christ. We’re called adopted children of God, equals, no favorites. It’s a beautiful, radical notion. Think about it – someone who’s been a Christian their whole life, and someone who finds faith at the very last moment, on their deathbed. Both are equally embraced, equally loved.

Galatians 4:5-7: …to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

This concept of belonging, of acceptance regardless of background or past, is what makes faith so powerful. It’s a community that transcends the limitations of earthly families, offering a space where everyone is truly home.

This journey of living with my cousin has been a revelation. It’s shown me the complexities of family dynamics, but more importantly, it’s opened my eyes to the boundless love and acceptance within the family of God. The feeling of being a “second citizen” fades when you realize the bigger picture: we’re all adopted, all loved, all free in the grace of God.