“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…” (Eph. 2:19). Most of us have our earthly nuclear family; a father, mother, and maybe a sibling or two. We remain attached to them because of the bloodline, but often we are not overly enthusiastic about spending time with them. Years of bickering, sibling rivalries, and pointless disputes sometimes erode the glue that binds the family. That can result in one or more of the members going their own way, seldom ever meeting up again.
If we are lucky, our earthly family is also part of our spiritual one, and life “ticks” over rather pleasantly. That said, attending church with baptized loved ones is not necessarily a recipe for happiness all the time, either. But what happens when we meet strangers who, like us, choose to put Christ on in baptism and try and live obedient lives in service to our Lord and Savior? Does having the privilege of calling the Creator “Abba” guarantee a loving relationship with a “stranger” sister or brother? My wife and I experienced something like that last week that I would like to share with you.
A close friend of mine is a minister at a church in Vermont, and he had invited 12 students from Freed Hardeman University in Tennessee to come and do some mission work with them. We live thirty-five minutes south of that church in Massachusetts, so we offered to house the six female students. Our offer was accepted, and we prepared to meet them, but, as is always the case, there was a slight bit of anxiety. What if they were rude, dismissive of us (We are in our late 50’s), or we just did not get along? Of course, that would not change our invitation, but it would mean some slight discomfort. Nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to experience.
Callous, rude, indignant, defiant, dismissive, and unkind are all words that could never be used to describe those thoughtful, kind, passionate, faithful, loving Christian souls. I guess freed Hardeman admin will never read this, but I would have this to say if they did. “If these students are a reflection of your college, you have our vote of confidence and our respect.” To their parents, I would say, “Wow, amazing job. You raised Christian women of a caliber that is hard to match in this world today. Well done, and thank you. My wife and I are amazed. Praise God.” By the end of the first hour, we were no longer strangers but extended family.
We prayed together in the morning at breakfast before we set off on our separate ways. At night we regaled one another with the stories of the day’s challenges, laughed, teased, laughed, counseled, and laughed some more. In fact, these beautiful young women kept us up until the early morning hours, and we loved every minute of it. They were the epitome of Christian love and exemplified the words of Matt. 22:37-39 perfectly, “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
By the time we watched them go through security at the airport and turn to give us one more wave or “Love you,” we had realized a love for these girls we would never have thought possible. We know we will see them again in the future, and we cannot wait, but let me also say this. Mel and I did not get to know those young men as well, but every last one of them was likewise impressive and wonderful examples of Matt. 5:16, “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Praise God for good parenting, good schools, and good kids…Amen.
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