Teen 2 Teen

At Christmas, Home Is Where You're Loved

by Amanda Beattie

Christmas is a season when families come together like no other time of the year. Relatives gather under one roof to celebrate Jesus' birth together. For some families, it's truly the highlight of the year.

by Amanda Beattie

Christmas is a season when families come together like no other time of the year. Relatives gather under one roof to celebrate Jesus' birth together. For some families, it's truly the highlight of the year.

Let's Get Together

I, on the other hand, had somewhat of a different Christmas experience when I was growing up. One time, I was discussing holiday plans with a friend of mine. My story was the same as it had been for as long as I could remember.

"We're staying home for Christmas," I told my friend.
"We're going to my cousins' house," she informed me.
"Really?" I asked, wide-eyed. "When are you going to be back?"
She gave me a quizzical look. "The day after Christmas. They only live an hour away."

Oh, yeah...

I Don't Think I'll Be Home for Christmas

As a little girl, the thought of being able to visit distant relatives fairly blew my mind. Whereas a lot of my friends had cousins and grandparents in the same city, or at least in the same state, all of my extended family lived in Oregon...while my immediate family and I lived in Texas. That's not an hour-long trip -- it's a four-day drive. Not the type of trek that any of us take lightly.

Needless to say, I didn't see my relatives very much. I only got to spend time with my grandparents once every few years, and I didn't even meet my cousins until I was 11. We always exchanged gifts and cards through the mail, but we were rarely able to actually get together.

Generally, it didn't bother me, but sometimes I still felt sorry for myself on holidays. Well into my teens, whenever a friend of mine took that hefty two-hour trip to see Grandma, I felt a twinge of jealousy. I loved my family and I wanted to be able to just cruise down the road myself and see them -- but half of a continent stood in my way. I got discouraged sometimes, because other people got to see their relatives at least once a month, and it didn't happen for me even once a year.

I got used to it, however. Eventually, my family and I moved to Oklahoma, but that didn't really put us any closer to Oregon. We emailed back and forth with our relatives, but Christmas was still spent separately in our respective states. I just accepted the fact that I wouldn't get to spend much time with my extended family.

Extended Family

God has shown me something, however. I can see my extended family often. I can celebrate Christmas with them. They're not just across the country; they're right here, in my own city. In fact, they're at my church.

I realized that I have seventy brothers and sisters. *Seventy!* And they're all in my youth group. Besides my own excellent mom and dad, I have an entire group of pastors who are being spiritual parents to me. I have at least a dozen loving, protective older siblings as my youth leaders. There are awesome older men and women of God who have taken me under their wing as a spiritual granddaughter.

It took me a long time to figure out that I wasn't as alone in the universe as I felt. I have a huge extended family--a loving family--a family who is brought together to honor Jesus as Lord. This extended family is with me all year round, and we meet at least once a week. We talk and laugh and support each other; we rejoice together in times of joy, and pray for each other in times of trial.

I appreciate my church family every day; but I am especially thankful for them this Christmas. I may not be able to meet with my biological relatives, but I am grateful that God has placed me here in an extended family. And to think...even these are only a fraction of my unnumbered brothers and sisters all over this earth. My blood relatives may be a long way off, but through the grace of God, I have an extended family I can touch, visit and love... right here.