FAMILY RESEMBLANCE! 2/3/13

FOR THE MOST part, except for dark hair for some and red for others, my siblings resemble one another. Of course we always talk about the blood line heritage, which sounds like a mixture of a little of this and a little of that, with a little French thrown in for good measure. However, since we all came from Adam and Eve it would seem that we are all red blooded for a reason. No matter the color or nationality, our blood runs red!

I HAVE NEVER paid much attention to genetics or hereditary character tendencies, until recently when I learned, that my thinning hair is caused by genetics. A scalp biopsy and blood work indicates that somewhere down the line on either side of my parents, someone on the female side, had a tendency towards baldness. The follicles are present but revert to a baby stage of being fine and thin.  Of course I can do something to alter the course I am on, but what a bother.

IT’S OKAY that my Dad had freckles and that many of my siblings had freckles. It’s okay that as Jim once described my family, as being a small army of little people, I am short; cute but short!  Most of my siblings inherited our parents musical talents and Jim and I both have passed this down to our son Dan and his sons. Not to mention along with Faye’s inherited talents.

ISN”T IT amazing, when you think about it, we really have come a long way, so that we do not look like each other, nor even have the same character traits. Within the church, we call each other brothers and sisters and yet we know very little about each other, except that we belong to the family of God!

IN THE SCRIPTURES when Jesus is told that his Mother, brothers and sisters were outside, he replies with; “these are my mother and my brothers," indicating the people around him. He was in the process of bringing together his followers into the family that we now call the church.

WHEN WE look around at each other we do not readily see the family resemblance, do we? Even after we become acquainted, at least to call each other by name, we still do not see any likeness, do we! It is even stretching it somewhat to find any similarities. But after a while, when we learn to accept one another in love, we begin to get a glimmer of our Father, don’t we.

I HAVE BEEN doing a study on the fruit of the Spirit. I have begun to see my Father’s resemblance in many of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I also began to recognize my Father in my siblings. I am amazed! In Genesis 1:24 God said; “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” In verse 27 he says; “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them and God said to them; Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.”

UNKNOWN to man, they were obedient to God. Because those who came before us were fruitful and they did multiply. But it wasn’t until the Spirit moved into those who were obedient unto Christ that the characteristics of the Father, were made available to them. God is love and therefore we are to love. God is good and therefore we are to be good. God is faithful and therefore we are to be faithful.

THE FRUIT gives us access to Godly attitudes and characteristics. Patience, kindness and goodness towards one another, is a reflection of love, joy and peace. Faithfulness, gentleness and self control keeps us keeping on representing Christ, in us. Jesus came in that day, so the people could know the Father. The Spirit has come to live in us, so that the world may know Jesus Christ.  Open your eyes and recognize the family resemblance. Put on God’s attributes and become like Him!

MY PRAYER is that thru Morning Glory Devotionals you, dear reader, will come to know just how much the Father and the Son loves you. They have not left us alone, for they, themselves, live within the ones who have responded to their invitation. By Jane Ann Crenshaw 2/3/13