Up the Sunbeam

-- Everyone longs to  belong. There is a deep-rooted need, common to all, to have a place among our people, to be part of a family, a group of friends, to be integral to an organization or community, to belong . And we want to belong truly, not just have our name on an impersonal list of members. We long for a sense of wanted-ness, even needed-ness among the people who matter most to us. There is a good reason for our desire to belong. God wove that very longing deep into the fibers of our hearts when He made us in His image. We long to belong because God longs to belong ! I have thought a lot about what it means for me and all of God's people to belong to God , but have never really given much thought to how much God has told us about His desire to belong to us ! Are you, like I was, a little surprised at that thought? In God's Word, there are almost a thousand instances of the name "God" being preceded by a possessive adjective (my, your, his, her, our, ...

I am the very blessed daughter of parents who will celebrate their 49th Anniversary next month. In their front yard stands the enormous weeping willow tree in this picture. It has stood through many storms, and sheltered generations of us in countless ways since my family moved there in 1972. In many ways it reminds me of my parents--their marriage, like that awesome willow tree, has stood many storms and sheltered our family too! Not only have they stayed together in proximity, but they have stayed so together in spirit, and are still so happy with the choice they made 49 years ago to get married, to share the rest of their lives with one another. Their relationship has been a blessing and an example to me and so many other people who have had the privilege of seeing them together over the years. I am thankful beyond expression for the pattern they have given me. Thankful too, that my husband and I (more than 21 wonderful years together) are just as committed to our marr...