Pastor Russ Plilar,
Seedtime & Harvest Church, San Diego:

In the late 1940s, when wives usually stayed home, my mother took a job with Southern Pacific Railroad as a payroll clerk.

Later on, when I was in military school, mother would write and tell me of promotions she received, but not without sacrifice because many times she was called out in the middle of the night to transport an engine crew to a train some 65 miles away. Whenever mother phoned, wrote, or visited, she always encouraged me to never give up, to always press in, and to have “stick-ability” and tenacity. She always reminded me to treat others the way I wanted to be treated, to be sound in my decision making, and to always trust God to bring me through. My parents were “sticklers” about church attendance and loved learning about God and His faithfulness.

This past July, at age 91, my mother went home to be with the Lord. It was a wonderful going home as I know Father God said, “Well done thy good and faithful servant... enter into my Kingdom.”

Pastor C. Whalen Weaver,
Walker Chapel AME Church, Oceanside:

I once remember laughing at my back-of-the-woods grandmother’s goatee moving up and down as she said to her grown mischievous son, “...boy, when you go out there, you better act like you know who you belong to.” And, I remember my own mother saying to me (as I prepared myself to go to a high school dance), “Girl, when you go out there, you better act like you know who you belong to...now do you hear me?” And now, as my seven-year-old daughter leaves to go to sleepovers, birthday parties, and any other activities where I would not be physically present, I find myself passing down the same lesson and saying to her, “Now listen to me little girl, you better act like you know who you belong to.”

We, who are called children of God, are taught the same lesson from the Word of God that says, “... Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). As God’s children, we are instructed to become examples of God in all manner, places, and situations. Do you remember being asked, “Aren’t you Jean Smith’s boy?” or “Don’t you belong to George and Helen Johnson?” When we enter into grocery stores, places of employment, etc., we belong to God. When we drive on the freeway, participate in heated discussions, and eat at restaurants, we belong to God. Because we are children of God in the body of Christ, there is no place for racism, sexism, colorism, institutionalism or denominationalism.

When the Church and God’s men and women participate in activities that encourage division instead of unity within the community, then we do not belong to God. However, because of the blood of Jesus, the 21st century church and children of God are assured that we do belong to Him. Therefore, when the world challenges us with issues of diversity and change, then we can act like we know whom we belong to as we attempt to find common ground and resolutions. This is especially important in our private lives, because our children learn from us and often do as we do. So when we know and act like we belong to God, then our children and their children will also act like they belong to God.