I am having an identity crisis!

I am having an identity crisis. When I was born into my family, I was named Glen Walter Aus.

But my identify was established by my family. I became identified as:

Ann & Leiv's son;
Lyn, Wayne, Kari's brother;
Bo and Itha and Gudrun & Ottar's grandson;
the nephew of Gudrun, Ulf, Jan, Inger and Glen;
the cousin of Solveig, Bjorn, Jan, Christine, Gudrun, Kjetil, Mia, Anna Lise, Erik, Ted and Tina.

Then I got married and became

(and this is my favorite) Lee Anne's husband;
in addition to that I automatically became Delane and Shirley's son-in-law;
and brother-in-law to Lyndon, Terryl, Denine, Thad, Carlon, Olan, Tamra, Sharon, Amy, Naomi, Rachel and Lydia.

Then my wife and I had children and now I am identified as the father of
Jonathan, David, Benjamin and Rebekah.

So if I meet someone who knows any of the above people, their eyes usually light up and they say "Oh, you are related to so and so" and a connection is made.

This is sometimes good and sometimes bad.

My older sister is an accomplished artist and I was showing someone a particular piece of art that she had created. And my friend replied "So, there is talent in your family". My sister is very talented and I have no problem taking a back seat while pointing out her art work.

My brother is a different story. He appeared on America's Funniest Home Videos with swizzle sticks in his ears being moved to the beat of the music. He also has a three legged act. The comments I hear are: "I saw your brother on AFV!" and "do you do the three legged act?"
I want to ask my brother one question: "Can you win the Noble Peace Prize?"

And everybody knows that you can live up to your family's reputation, or you can live it down.

And God has made it more than possible through Jesus Christ to have a spiritual family.

John 1:11-13 (NIV)
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

1 John 3:1-3 (NIV)
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

1 John 5:19-20 (NIV)
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

My father, both sets of grandparents and some of my uncles are gone but my relationship with Jesus will always be there.

A very sad question

I was talking with a young lady on the train today, going home from work. She asked me how old my children were and I told her.

Then she asked about something I take for granted: "Do your children live with you?" And the same question about my wife: "Do you live with her?"

It is very sad that this girl would have to ask this question.

God calls us to be a family. I would encourage you to develop deeper relationships with your church family because God has made it possible

Hebrews 2:10-12 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.