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Joseph’s story is the story of the unsung Christmas hero. He’s no different than any adoptive, foster or stepparent today. Loving a child is a choice. More importantly, families are made by God’s love and not only by biology.
Speaking from my heart, please don’t use phrases that make a child feel “less than.” Don’t ask about “real” parents and imply that theirs are not. Don’t refer to biological children in a family as “real,” and other children as adopted, foster or step. All children are to be loved and cherished. There is no need to make a designation.
What is family anyway? It’s the bonds of fellowship and care we have with others. Human connection makes family in so many ways. In all of them, we have the opportunity to love and nurture each other. And all of these families continue to change and grow. Let’s look at our relationships through new and clear Christian eyes. Jesus’ family wasn’t strictly biological, and ours doesn’t need to be either.
This message is excerpted from “Real” by Diane Norstad in the December 2018 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Joseph, guardian of Jesus.