Christmas seems to be the one time where a lot of people go home no matter how far away it is.  There’s even a whole song about that, right?  In many cases, Christmas is so much about family, and sometimes it might be the only time whole families get together.  But sometimes it’s a painful time when family isn’t there anymore or they’re too far away or there are broken relationships.

But family is important to God.  In the beginning, God made Adam and Eve, two people—in other words, a family.  And when He sent Jesus into the world, He didn’t teleport Him to Earth to make a go of it on His own.  He sent Him into the world as part of a family.  Mary and Joseph may have been trying to figure out that whole parenting thing on the fly, but they had each other, and Jesus had them.  And when we’re born again because of that baby, isn’t it so amazing that God says we’re part of His family?

John 1:12-13
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Family can be complicated.  In many ways our families represent the deepest and most significant connections we have, and those bonds are always there on some level.  But God is good at putting people together and finding families for those who have nowhere else to belong.  That’s what He did for Jesus.  That’s what He does for us.  That’s why our church family is so important, being part of that community that calls God our Father and each other our brethren.  So as we gather together with those who mean the most, let’s value our time together and those connections we share and be sure to let them know how much they mean to us.