Family Tree .... Where the leaves fall

Life in Christ Connected..



I admit it, I have the most complex family tree known to man. To begin there are my two parents.. with 3 siblings. (2 sisters, 1 brother, I also have 2 stepsisters,2 stepbrothers, and step parents) Papa and Hazel keep track of us all and there are almost 20 Aunts and Uncles, and over 110 cousins of all kinds...

 

 Starting at the top of my extended church family tree....Momella. Spiritual mother extraordinaire. Ohh... I have an entire family with 7 brothers and sisters, adopted as a teenager.. Ma and Pa Decker's clan.. I belong to them too.. it isn't wise to question Ma or her kids about this if you don't see where the branch is, as she is protective of what is hers, her kids are not far behind. Draw a line for nephews galore.. four  nieces with that clan... plus their own babies. Okay next branch, I have one sister who migrated from Africa, Cameroon, she and her husband have 3 kids. Let's see Lawrence calls me mum.. he's from Kenya. He has three boys, so I might be a grandma at 34.. okay.. My Aunt Dora who is a lovely lady who adopted me as her official "sobrina" which is Spanish for niece.. Then there is My family in Brazil, 2 uncles, Tony and Jerson, Carlos (dad), Fernanda (mom/sister/BFF) , 2 more siblings. (You should see this on paper it looks great). Then my twin brother Anderson (Jerson's son), yes we look nothing alike, are completely different birthdays, speak completely different languages, but you guessed. those lines run right together inseperable... okay so not to forget Troy, Eldon, and Tim, big brothers. They have been with me since I was a church tree sapling...

 

 

For many years I could not understand the depth of what it means to be a brother or sister in Christ. I thought it was just a way to be polite to people in church. Over the last ten years I have come to understand that a family member in Christ is the deepest connection we carry. I am not taking away from the value of blood family. No one knows more than I do how much we need the connection of the clan we have been born into. In our blood family, we need both connections. What I am looking at though now, is the clan we are re-born into, by knowing Jesus Christ, and how our earthy families can benefit from this kind of connection. I have connections in Christ in a different way with all of my family de terre. Part of the meaning of this life in Christ is having those people around you who you know simply love you as you are... the good and the bad. These people have come to know me as impatient, hot tempered, but also someone who will pray until they have no words left. This love is not a blind love.. it is tested and true. Believe me, more than once several of these people have been furious with me, and rightly so. However our connection with Christ allows us to talk about things. When either of us have things to deal with that are painful, we reach out for each other.

 

 While we love our earthly families, the connection there without God's presence, allows for us to "get away"with having a different standard for behavior. For example our earth logic is "if I borrow my sister's shirt without asking, it isn't stealing because it belonged to my sister. If I ruin it then she shouldn't get mad, because she's my sister. Sometimes I hear people insult their spouses, and it is supposed to be okay because well, that person their spouse.. I think you know where this is going. In our lives we need to be very mindful of the standards in which we see our our church family, and the rest of humanity including our family.. In the USA we often tend to give our earthly family, and the rest of humanity the short end of the stick. While our culture promotes autonomy and independence, it also gives a wide berth for treating our relatives badly when we feel the situation benefits us to do so. Sometimes we pretend parts of our family tree don't exist.. In other cultures we see a reverence for family and community that is beyond words, a closer representation of Christ's desires for us. There are branches everywhere here.. like my photo of Brazil up top.. I am not ripping the US apart in their life style.. but I do live here, and have been other places.. I know that many people from the US shake their heads when I speak of my extended family, and all of the ways that we do things together.. let alone trying to maintain a "regular family life" one that includes kind words for my husband every day and dinner at the table with our kids and regular visits with the family via Skype and facebook..... Having this kind of support, people who will love you, is a part of the connection to Christ that feeds us. It also keeps us on the path help the family tree to remain healthy. My regular family life benefits, because with all of the extra support, I can do more than if I was always alone. The truth is often times our extended family can see when our family tree leaves are falling too fast, and we need help.

 

We know that trees need  to shed their leaves when they rest. I look at all of the things that I have endured in life as a new leaf. Each time a leaf falls, a new leaf, or new blessing or trial comes in it's place. The trunk of my part of the tree has 34 rings. Without the blessings of some of these people, I may have only had 18 rings.. One of my extra family members nursed me though a terrible bout of pneumonia, others helped me quit drinking and smoking.. All of these people have pushed me closer to Christ, when I would have run away. Others have held out their hands when so many of my leaves were falling so that the roots were close to dying two years ago after some surgeries.

 

Recently I was gifted with a family in Brazil. People who love me with all of their hearts. They call me daughter, sister, and friend. My roots have grown so strong in the last little while that my leaves are growing green and bearing fruit that I never expected to grow. While distance, and more time will witness more leaves falling, I know one thing for sure, no matter what happens, I am loved no matter where the leaves fall, and I am blessed to have them as my branches..

 

Te amo muito.. minha familia..

 

 

 

 



My Lady....Thy Chariot Awaits..

I dedicate this article to my "Uncle Jerson"

 

Casa, é onde o coração é ...Tradução Inglês, Português e segue

 

I recently went to Brazil for a mission trip. I had no idea what would happen, or how much the people I would meet would change my life. In just 3 short months, I have gained an entire family. People I have only just met, but love so much, that I cannot imagine my life without them for even a second. While in Brazil I picked up some Portuguese, but really only had the skills of a "Portuguese" baby. one person in particular has really moved my heart with his acceptance. That is Jerson. Jerson is a quiet man with an easy going demeanor. He has kind eyes, and has spent his life smiling. He has the laugh lines to prove it. I am a very chatty person, and I struggle to keep quiet at times. His Brother Carlos and sister in law Fernanda are adopted family, we visit as often as we can.. Even though I had few words when I first met Jerson, I was determined to talk to him about everything, even in English. Why not?  It was worth a try, as sometimes a few words can be exchanged between langauges easily. One evening Jerson had hosted us at his place of work. It is a lovely gem in the São Paulo skyline with good food and music, I danced with his son Anderson, (my Brazilian twin brother), and enjoyed the company of all the other missionaries that had gone on this trip. While every person I met was kind to me in Brazil, the kindness of Jerson, stays with my heart for a reason. He is so quiet, but he tries to understand me when I speak my terrible Portuguese to him. He allows me to call him "Uncle Jerson" in English. While Carlos and Fernanda have a good understand of the English langauge, I cannot use the "Englishugese" mix with Jerson and have the same effect.

 

The night I went to São Paulo city center, when we were going home, Jerson gave me a ride. I was somewhat still in awe of the evening and trying to just listen to the sounds of the city. Suddenly about three or four miles from the house, in Portuguese I blurted out "We are very close to home".  Jerson just smiled at me a dazzling smile and said "yes". The look of happiness he gave me was so sincere. I had not traveled this route before as there are many ways to go one place in Brazil, and nothing looked familiar, but I knew where we were.. So why would this mean so much to me? What would Jerson's presence have to do with this feeling? It was a feeling of complete and total acceptance by someone who barely knew me. He was so happy that I had known where we were. I wonder if some of the smile came from using the word "home" correctly.. If I look even deeper in myself, I think it was the knowledge that he did not think it strange for me to feel at home in his presence. Part of the message of Jesus Christ that is so critical is the message of acceptance. Often times we speak of forgiveness and sharing, but of we do not truly accept those in our lives as they are, forgiveness and acceptance mean very little. What is the point of forgiving someone, or sharing a meal with them, if there is something about them that takes your thoughts away from the act of being with those people? When we were making arrangements to go home, Jerson could have requested a quieter missionary to accompany him, he also could have asked for one of the missionaries who spoke more Portuguese.. I would have never known. Instead when the time came to leave, he opened the car door and gave me a smile. He let me ask questions as I was able, and he was never impatient with me.

 

While Jerson is a world class musician, he humbly offers his music to the church each Sunday. He sings beautifully with his son Anderson, and brother Carlos. It would be very easy for someone of their talents to have a name as large as life itself in the music industry, yet they work together to spread the message of Christ's peace. While my love for Brazil each day grows, and Portuguese is not far behind, I pray that Jerson will always know how much his acceptance of me, just as I was will always have a special place in my heart.  

 

 Recentemente fui ao Brasil para uma viagem missionária. Eu não tinha idéia do que iria acontecer, ou o quanto as pessoas que ia conhecer iria mudar a minha vida. Em apenas 3 meses curtos, eu ganhei uma família inteira. Pessoas que eu só agora conheci, mas amo tanto, que eu não posso imaginar minha vida sem eles nem por um segundo. Enquanto no Brasil eu peguei um pouco de Português, mas na verdade só tinha as habilidades de um bebê "Português". uma pessoa em particular, tem realmente mudou meu coração com a sua aceitação. Que é Jerson. Jerson é um homem tranquilo, com uma postura fácil. Ele tem olhos bondosos, e passou a vida sorrindo. Ele tem as linhas de riso para provar isso. Eu sou uma pessoa muito falante, e eu me esforço para manter a calma às vezes. Seu irmão Carlos e cunhada Fernanda são adotadas família, visitar sempre que pudermos .. Mesmo que eu tivesse algumas palavras quando eu conheci Jerson, eu estava determinado a falar com ele sobre tudo, mesmo em Inglês. Por que não? Foi pena tentar, como às vezes algumas palavras podem ser trocadas entre langauges facilmente. Uma noite, Jerson havia hospedado nos em seu local de trabalho. É um adorável jóia em São Paulo skyline com boa comida e música, eu dancei com seu filho Anderson, (meu irmão gêmeo brasileiro), e se a empresa de todos os outros missionários que tinham ido nessa viagem. Embora cada pessoa que eu conheci foi gentil comigo, no Brasil, a bondade de Jerson, fica com o coração por uma razão. Ele é tranqüila, mas ele tenta me entender quando eu falo meu Português terrível para ele. Ele me permite chamá-lo de "tio Jerson" em Inglês. Enquanto Carlos e Fernanda têm uma boa compreensão do langauge Inglês, eu não posso usar o mix "Englishugese" com Jerson e têm o mesmo efeito.

A noite fui ao centro de São Paulo, quando estávamos indo para casa, Jerson deixe-me voltar com ele para a nossa casa. Eu estava um pouco ainda no temor da noite e tentando apenas ouvir os sons da cidade. De repente, cerca de três ou quatro quilômetros da casa, em Português eu soltei "Estamos muito perto de casa". Jerson apenas sorriu para mim um sorriso deslumbrante e disse "sim". O olhar de felicidade que ele me deu foi tão sincero. Eu não tinha viajado esta via antes, pois há muitas maneiras de ir um lugar no Brasil, e nada parecia familiar, mas eu sabia onde estávamos .. Então, por que isso significa muito para mim? Qual seria a presença Jerson tem a ver com esse sentimento? Foi um sentimento de aceitação completa e total por alguém que mal me conhecia. Ele estava tão feliz que eu sabia onde estávamos. Eu me pergunto se algum do sorriso veio de usar a palavra "casa" corretamente .. Se eu olhar ainda mais profundo em mim, eu acho que era o conhecimento que ele não ache estranho para mim sentir em casa na sua presença. Parte da mensagem de Jesus Cristo, que é tão importante é a mensagem de aceitação. Muitas vezes falamos de perdão e de partilha, mas de não aceitar aqueles verdadeiramente em nossas vidas como elas são, perdão e aceitação significam muito pouco. Qual é o ponto de perdoar alguém, ou partilhar uma refeição com eles, se há algo sobre eles que toma seus pensamentos longe do ato de estar com essas pessoas? Quando estávamos a fazer arranjos para ir para casa, Jerson poderia ter solicitado um missionário mais calma para acompanhá-lo, ele também poderia ter pedido a um dos missionários que falaram mais Português .. Eu nunca teria conhecido. Em vez disso, quando chegou a hora de sair, ele abriu a porta do carro e me deu um sorriso. Ele me deixou fazer perguntas que eu era capaz, e ele nunca foi impaciente comigo.
Enquanto Jerson é um músico de classe mundial, ele humildemente oferece sua música para a igreja todos os domingos. Ele canta lindamente com seu filho Anderson, e Carlos irmão. Seria muito fácil para alguém de seus talentos para ter um nome tão grande quanto a própria vida na indústria da música, mas eles trabalham juntos para espalhar a mensagem de paz de Cristo. Enquanto o meu amor pelo Brasil a cada dia cresce, e Português não fica muito atrás, eu rezo para que Jerson será sempre sabe o quanto a sua aceitação de mim, assim como eu estava sempre terá um lugar especial no meu coração.