I recently received a letter from a long lost cousin on my father’s side requesting that I submit to a DNA test so she could do some family tree work. At first I wasn’t sure. I’m a very dedicated conspiracy theorist, and how was I to know this was even my cousin? I mean, I have tons of cousins on my mother’s side. We keep in touch all the time. I know some of them are doing research into our family.

But my father? I know very little about that side of the blood line. Plus, there’s the DNA testing…

Anyway, this cousin shared a bit more information with me, which convinced me she really was related by blood. In fact, she sent me a picture of herself, and we even look alike! So I’m in.

A few days ago Mel and I had family here from my mother’s side. In fact, we had planned to host a whole family reunion here for the weekend, but certain issues happening in our world convinced us to put it off for a year. Still, two brave couples came, spent time with us, and we had a wonderful weekend together. There’s something about family–and history–that keeps me feeling strong when I might have otherwise felt weak. I cried when they left. It does get lonely here in the frozen north without family around.

However…! I reminded myself that I have family with me every day, especially during my work week, which is six days long. I work with three other Christian novelists in real time. We see one another’s faces every day. I’ve been surprised by how much this time encourages me. We have so much in common. We novelists are a strange bunch according to most of the rest of the world. And yet when we’re together that strangeness helps us connect in ways that make us feel like family.

I recently discovered that one of our own here at Christiansread.com will be gone for a few weeks. I was disappointed because I enjoy reading her posts and responding. We are also family here. We belong to Christ, therefore we belong to one another.

I love how Christ’s blood is our own. We are family even if we’ve never met. We will always have Him in common, and therefore we are related. Sure, we have different ideas, different cultures and ways of talking, but when we’re related by the Blood, we are related forever.

The world feels dark now. It seems easier to get angry, to take offense, to be depressed. But we will never be alone. God has given us each other. Let’s deal gently with one another as we try to ease the pain and stress from one another’s shoulders.