When January 1st rolls around I automatically think of it as Family Day. My parents used to tell me this when I was a kid and this was long before the province designated it a holiday in the month February. I decided to “Google” the date and funny enough, Jan 1st is indeed known as Global Family Day!
This past summer when I lost my mother and only remaining parent, more than one person said to me “so now you are an orphan”. I was sort of dumbstruck at that phrase and simply responded saying I had never thought of it that way before.
I had several friends lose family members this past year. One of my close friends lost both her parents in the span of 47 days so I guess that makes her an orphan now too. Another friend of mine grew up in the foster care system and to this day has no living relatives that she is connected with other than her own son. Even the father of her child died a few years ago. So –yes, she too is an orphan.
All of this got me thinking about what constitutes a family. Truly, I think it has to do with a sense of belonging. Whether we are single, married, widowed, divorced or orphaned we are still connected in God’s eyes. This past Sunday the praise team performed a song that solidified this point. In the song “This is Amazing Grace” we hear some very poignant words “Who makes the orphan a son and daughter? The King of Glory, the King of Glory” (He does indeed!).
I also think of Hope without Borders and the newcomers we have welcomed into our community. Even though their culture and beliefs may be different than ours I cannot help but sense that we are all connected and that they have become part of our church family.
So, at the end of the day no matter our circumstance in life remember that our Lord and Saviour will make us all his sons and daughters.
Submitted by Monique, “Orphan” and Member of Hope
This past summer when I lost my mother and only remaining parent, more than one person said to me “so now you are an orphan”. I was sort of dumbstruck at that phrase and simply responded saying I had never thought of it that way before.
I had several friends lose family members this past year. One of my close friends lost both her parents in the span of 47 days so I guess that makes her an orphan now too. Another friend of mine grew up in the foster care system and to this day has no living relatives that she is connected with other than her own son. Even the father of her child died a few years ago. So –yes, she too is an orphan.
All of this got me thinking about what constitutes a family. Truly, I think it has to do with a sense of belonging. Whether we are single, married, widowed, divorced or orphaned we are still connected in God’s eyes. This past Sunday the praise team performed a song that solidified this point. In the song “This is Amazing Grace” we hear some very poignant words “Who makes the orphan a son and daughter? The King of Glory, the King of Glory” (He does indeed!).
I also think of Hope without Borders and the newcomers we have welcomed into our community. Even though their culture and beliefs may be different than ours I cannot help but sense that we are all connected and that they have become part of our church family.
So, at the end of the day no matter our circumstance in life remember that our Lord and Saviour will make us all his sons and daughters.
Submitted by Monique, “Orphan” and Member of Hope
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