Welcome to the Family
Hey there, friend, come right on up here. I’m so glad you stopped by because I’ve been sittin’ here grinnin’ like a lil’ ol’ possum that found a whole pan of warm cornbread coolin’ on the kitchen windowsill. I’ve been itchin’ to share a truth that’ll settle your soul better than a warm quilt on a cold Texas night. So pull up a chair on this ol’ front porch with its creaky boards soundin’ off like a cranky cricket that stayed up way too late.
Now here it is. John 20:17 is where Jesus tells Mary Magdalene, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” And Mary, bless her heart, ran off in John 20:18 shoutin’, “I have seen the Lord,” like a barnyard rooster that finally figured out what its main job was. Ephesians 1:5 fits right alongside it as steady as a cedar fence post. It says, “God predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.” That there means you’re not just invited. You’re sho’-nuff’ claimed. You’ve been adopted into His beloved family.
Picture Mary Magdalene in that garden tremblin’ like a crafty lil’ ol’ raccoon that got caught sneakin’ out of the feed shed. Then Jesus speaks her name and tells her His Father is now her Father. That’s the moment the whole story flips like a pancake on a hot skillet. The cross opened the door to a brand‑new family, and Jesus Himself held that door wide open.
We weren’t born into God’s family. We came into this ol’ world about as spiritually cooperative as an ornery ol’ goat that refuses to get in the trailer when the farmer wants to transport him to a new location. We’ve done wandered. We’ve done resisted. We’ve chosen our own way. But when we finally turn from our sin and place our faith in Christ, everything sho’-nuff’ changes. God becomes our Father. We become His children. And friend, that’s not wishful thinkin’. That there’s a promise carved straight into eternity.
Just showin’ up in church doesn’t make you part of God’s family any more than standin’ in a henhouse makes you a chicken. You’ve got to surrender. You’ve got to acknowledge your sin. You’ve got to receive the gift Jesus paid for with His innocent blood. When you bring Him nothing but your sin, He gives you everything you could never earn. Past, present, and future sins covered. Heart made new. Name written in God’s family book of life.
Has that special blessin’ happened in your life yet? If not, maybe today could be that day.
Father, I come with nothing but my sin. Thank You for wantin’ me, lovin’ me, and makin’ a way for me to be adopted into Your family. Help me surrender fully, trust deeply, and follow You faithfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, as you wander away from this ol’ porch and head back into your doin’s, let this truth git to settlin’ in your heart like some real warm chicken soup on a cool Texas night. God’s family just ain’t no gatherin’ of polished folks. It’s plum a home for surrendered souls. It’s sho’-nuff’ where the lost get found, the broken get mended, and the wanderin’ get welcomed right in. And just like a wise ol’ hoot owl that sees more than it says, God sees you, He knows you, and He still wants you. Let that there truth wrap around you like your grandma’s homemade quilt on a cold winter night.
With joy,
Gwen
