becoming a Braverman

I come from a good family. We are all scattered now though and not as close as my heart longs for us to be. Parents divorced, sister 3 hours to the north, brother 3 hours to the east. 

It's just the way it is and the way I am accustomed to it being. But I long for more, so so much more.

My favorite show on TV and really the only one I follow is Parenthood. If you do not follow it, do yourself a favor and sign onto Netflix and start at season one. You will not be disappointed.

I love the Bravermans. I know this family is fictional, but I do not care. This is what I want.

I will not ever have a bigger blood family and I have my doubts about how close we will ever be, but I am determined to grow my family to be so big and loving and supportive and real and silly and authentic and precious. No I will not be having a bunch more children, I am not talking about that.
I want more, no I need more mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins. I long so deeply for family. God has created us to live in relationship with each other, to be involved, present, supportive, and in each others real day to day life! I want people who want genuine relationship with me. Who will butt in and correct me when I am wrong. Who will cry with me when I need a good cry and who will Love my babies like their own. People who will come to my girls dance recitals, games, plays, baptisms...

God has a family out there like this for all of us and friends they do not need to be of the same blood. I deeply love the family God has born me into but this is just not how my family runs. So I sit here tonight praying and pleading with God to weave the most beautiful family into my life. That He would hand pick special individuals and families to adopt me and my family into theirs and that I can adopt into mine. 

Can I encourage you all to open up your lives. It does not matter if you come from a family of 50 or a family of 1. We are being called to live on Mission and do life with each other. There are lonely and hurting people all around. Some are Funny, some quirky, and yes, some down right annoying. But isn't that the dynamic of a family?!

Just like the writers hand picked actors to become the Braverman's, God wants to hand pick an equally fun and crazy family for us all! He want's to do this for me!

Reach out to those who God tells you to reach out to. Do not hesitate to ask them over for dinner or game night or to your child's football game. There are so many out there just waiting for a chance to be a part of something like this.

I love the family I was born into and I wish nothing more for it to be in tact. But today it is not.

Let us deepen the relationships around us and never assume that people are being taken care of in the way they deeply need to be.

I pray each of our families grow abundantly and that we are all overwhelmed by the invites, obligations, nosey siblings, and support.

Let's do this life with people, like He intended. I want to not just be in community but I want my girls to have so many aunts and uncles and grandparents that they call them by each others names and have a hard time remembering them all. Chaotic Holidays going from house to house, I cannot wait for this family to grow.

God, allow this family to grow.