5 Days Of Loving Others With Settle My SoulSýnishorn

A Heavenly Relationship Recipe by Karen

They sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” — Revelation 5:9

For all but one year of my life I have lived in small towns within twenty miles of where I was born. These towns, though quaint and friendly, are not what you would call racially or ethnically diverse. Being raised in such an area presents challenges when it comes to get-ting to know people who look different from me.

Thankfully, my experience with a friend of my father’s led me and my whole family to intentionally make efforts to know others who look, live, and worship differently than we do. This friend’s name is Ray.

Ray was a coworker of my dad’s who became very close to our family. He and I have completely different backgrounds and don’t share the same race. But we do share similar hearts—hearts that love God, family, and ministry. Today Ray and I are like siblings, and he is even named in my father’s will.

Currently, Brother Ray is the pastor of a church in the big city a few miles south of us. Years ago when his congregation purchased a larger church building and held their first service there, Ray invited my husband to be one of the guest speakers.

After the service, the church celebrated with a huge home- cooked dinner lovingly made by many of the women from that parish. My family and I were treated like royalty. We were seated at the head table and served the most delicious food, including many dishes I had never tried before. My children played in the nursery with the other children from the church. We exchanged hugs, well wishes, and recipes with many from the congregation.

It was an incredible experience, and what made it even more memorable was that we were the only family of our race in attendance for this celebration. It was good for our family—including our children— to be in the minority that Sunday.

Today’s verse makes it clear that not everyone in heaven will look alike. There will be people from every tribe and nation and tongue. If heaven will be diverse, we need to make sure we are seeking out diversity while here on earth.

We must seek out new relationships. We must also resist using stereotypes when we encourage our children (and other young souls in our sphere of influence) to pursue diversity in their friendships.

Will you make it a point to purposely reach out to those who look and live differently than you? When you do, you reflect God’s heart toward mankind while you also get a little glimpse of heaven. Why, you might just gain some new recipes in the process. But most of all, the recipe for love.

Father, I want to be intentional about getting to know and serving others who are different from me. Help me reflect Your love to them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Does your circle of friends include only those who look and live like you do? What practical steps can you take to pursue diversity in your friendships?