YOU'RE EXCEPTIONAL - YOU'RE A CHILD OF GOD

I was born in the middle of a hot Florida July nearly 65 summers ago. I was blessed to be born to parents who prayed for, planned for and delighted in the arrival of their tiny baby girl.

Once I was born, was there anything I could have done to undo my relationship with my parents? No. Would I still be their daughter if at some point they had kicked me out of the house? Yes. What if they attempted to disown me - would I still be their child? Yes. I was related to them by blood and nothing could change that fact.

BUT. Was there something I could have done that would cause me to no longer live in harmony with my parents? Oh, YES! Being a strong-willed child before James Dobson ever wrote the book, I probably discovered any number of ways by the time I could walk and talk! But being out of harmony with my parents didn't mean I was no longer their child. It had nothing to do with our blood relationship. My harmony with my parents usually hinged on one thing: my obedience. As long as I did what my parents instructed me to do, we got along fine. When I didn't, we had problems.

My relationship with my parents was born out of natural descent based on their human decision. But when I was just a mere 8 years old, I entered another relationship. I asked Jesus Christ to forgive my sins and become my personal savior. I was born again. I was born of God. The decision to enter that relationship didn't come through my parents. Not my mother. Not my father. It was a choice I made of my own free will. As a little third grade girl, I'd heard stories of Jesus for as long as I could remember. But the day I entered into a personal relationship with Him, I had an understanding that the "sin" Jesus died for was not just the "world's" but MINE!

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12-13

Now that I am a child of God, is there anything I can do that will cause me to no longer be His child? Is there anything I can do to undo my relationship with Him? No. Why? Because I am related to Him by blood!

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:18-19

I am a blood related child of God because of Jesus. If that's not EXCEPTIONAL, my friends, what is?? By choice, I could disobey and no longer live in harmony with my heavenly Father, but that would not affect the blood relationship I have with Him. He is my Father. I am His child. For all eternity.

If you, like me, can look back on a time that you invited Jesus to be your savior, you too are a CHILD OF GOD. If not, why not settle that right now? He stands ever ready to save you. There is nothing more wonderful than being His child! When you are a CHILD OF GOD, my sweet sister, YOU ARE EXCEPTIONAL!