BY WENDI ROGERS

he girls had been abused by their mother for a long time. Their mother's growing dependence on drugs and alcohol sent her into a warped state of mind, and she took it out on her children. Sidney and Sierra were abused not only physically but, perhaps even more significantly, emotionally. Their young minds were being trained to carry scars that would stay with them the rest of their lives.

With no father in their lives and with a mother who was often incapacitated, Sidney and Sierra were moved around from one family member's house to the next. They didn't stay in any one place for long; whoever had them would ultimately pass them along. At ages 7 and 10 they were invited by an extended family member who lived on the other side of the country to visit him and meet his family.

Their story is long, but it has a happy ending. Sidney and Sierra were lovingly accepted right there, 2,500 miles away from everything they knew, by friends of this extended family member. They now had two other siblings, not to mention several pets, and two parents who brought them into their family as if they had always been there. After their birth mother told Sidney and Sierra's new mother and father that they could stay with them permanently, they were welcomed with open arms. The four new siblings, in joy and excitement, ran around the house yelling, "We're family! We're family!" They were never the same again.

So what makes a family?

Sidney and Sierra didn't just gain a new earthly family; they were introduced for the first time to their heavenly family. It wasn't a "they lived happily ever after" ending, because those just don't exist in a sinful world. There were conflicts, as is normal for a family to have, and with two children being brought into an existing family, there were quite a few adjustments that had to be made by and for everyone. Just getting to know one another was the first step.

Each family has their own uniqueness, their own culture that is different from any other family's. And each person in the family is unique, and doesn't always get along with other family members. There are differences, and sometimes they are enough to cause a split in a family relationship.

But there's a common bond there that can never be erased. The fact that they are related, that they are family, is something that can unite them in a way that they'll never have with those outside the family.

When Sidney and Sierra first arrived on the other side of the country, they were "foreigners." They didn't know the people or the culture. Even though the language was the same there, it sounded different to them. And the land--there were trees, lots of them, and more green than they'd ever seen before. It was strange for them. Their new siblings were different from them. They looked different and acted different. But they soon embraced it all, because there was one common theme--love. They became part of that culture rather than just looking in from the outside. It was as though they had always been there. They were right at home, and they were happy.

Now multiply that by a thousand!

And consider 1 John 3:1, 2: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. . . . Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is."*

We are already God's children, but what will it be like in heaven? A thousand times more wonderful than even being called "God's children"? In the meantime we are a worldwide family right here on earth. How do we deal with that?

Getting Along in a Worldwide Family
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is truly a worldwide denomination. There are members in more than 200 countries. How many languages, traditions, and cultures do they represent? And the countless ways of worshiping our God and the numerous approaches to reaching others there must be. We each bring our own unique ways of doing things, our different roles to play, and our own perceptions. But the core message and values we hold as a church bring us together and keep us together. They unite us worldwide, no matter what the culture, skin color, or language. This diversity is to be celebrated.

But because we are all sinners, sometimes we may run into problems. We often don't know how to deal with ethnic or cultural differences. We sometimes shun the person who sees things differently than we do. If it's not our way or the way we're used to doing it, we can view it as wrong. Romans 14 gives us advice on how to live like family: "Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. . . . Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. . . . Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. . . . Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. . . . Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding" (verses 1-19).

God created His family to be interdependent, not independent. As a family of God we are to work together as a team. We are not to condemn, but we are also not to do whatever we want when it hurts those around us. God expects us to respect and love one another like members of our family. We are to work together for a common goal--bringing others to Christ. This goal alone unites us as a family of God. Who are we, measly little sinners that we are, to look at one another with an eye of disdain? We all sin, but thankfully for us, God is our judge. And God, through Christ, is the common denominator who brings us together as a family.

"Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. . . . Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13:8-10).

Building and maintaining a family relationship takes time. There are personality and behavior conflicts, but the underlying theme is always there for those who truly love the Lord.

Automatically Members of the Heavenly Family
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone" (Eph. 2:19, 20).

Christ is the cornerstone of our entire universe, and every living being in it belongs to Him--as a citizen of heaven. Our world is but a minute object compared with the rest of the universe, yet Christ is, happily, our center. Consider Ephesians 1:5, 6: "He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."

We are born with a destiny in mind by the God of the universe. We are already God's children and part of His heavenly family--if we choose to be. When someone is born into an earthly family, that person is automatically an established part of that family. The second we accept Christ, we are automatically brought into the heavenly family. But obviously, as members of a family we have the responsibility of keeping the family together. God calls each of us to do our part to maintain peace and unity and to show others the love that comes from knowing Jesus Christ.

Welcome to the family.

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* All Scripture references in this article are from the New Revised Standard Version.

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Wendi Rogers is an assistant editor for the Adventist News Network, based in Silver Spring, Maryland.