A couple of days I go I posted a picture on instagram with a big caption that was an explosion from my heart of a topic that God has been stirring inside of me for the last year or so. And now I would love to go a little deeper into it....
I posted this picture and said “Words can't capture how I felt today spending the day with these two. So thankful for their little lives and their mama and dad who have welcomed me into their family so well. This is what it means to live life with Christ in the center breaking down worldly standards for Christ standards of loving people in all stages of life. If you are single and living away from your family I strongly encourage you to seek out a godly family to adopt you, love on you, support you and challenge you in your faith. If you are a family I strongly encourage you to reach out to a single in your life that is living far away from family to adopt into your family. The experience and relationship is a blessing both ways!!”
Transitioning out of college was hard. It was hard to go from a close knit-community and place where no matter what time of day you had someone to talk to. Moving to another country was hard. Everything is/was so different and takes time to adjust to. And then both of these situations brought me far away from my family and that’s just hard in itself because my family is and will always be my #1 encouragers. They love me no matter what. They pray and challenge me. They listen and give wisdom. They are always there (even from across the ocean), but it’s hard not having their physical presence always near.
And this is where my family away from family comes in. I am SO thankful for them and my family is SO thankful for them. I was just talking to my parents about this this weekend and my mom just kept saying how thankful she is that I have a “family away from family” here. You see this “family away from family” will never take the place of my family, but they do have another special place in my life in the season that I am in right now. They are who I can depend on right now for a physical hug, a home-cooked meal, wisdom and love in person. They can be at my door in 15 minutes. And they give me the opportunity to love on them and be apart of their family. It is hard to describe exactly, but I think this special bond of “family away from family” is exactly what I think Christ ask of us. To live life with one another. To go beyond our worldly “family” and be a family with other believers. Living life with others and not allowing “rules” of family to hinder us from walking together towards Christ.
Yes, some of you may think this is silly or that this relationship can become inclusive, but it’s not. It’s family and you know what you hang out with your family. You do things with your family. You see your family often when you live in the same place. And you talk to them often. So why does it have to be any different when it’s your family away from family?!?!
So, I would love to encourage you again if you are single and living away from your family to seek out a godly family to adopt you, love on you, support you and challenge you in your faith. If you are a family I encourage you to reach out to a single in your life that is living far away from family to adopt into your family. “ From experience it is a blessing both ways.
Just some of my thoughts about the topic of “family away from family”. I would love to hear your thoughts about
this topic or/and hear about your experience with a “family away from family.”
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| My family! |
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| My "family away from family"with my mama! |
Love, Daniella
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