I Know Whose Daughter You Are

I grew up on an Alberta farm in the 60’s. While it doesn’t seem that long ago, in some ways it was a very different world. For instance: my mother always had a large meal at noon, and anyone working at the farm for the day, came in and ate ‘dinner’ with us. No one would have packed a lunch; my parents would insist that they join us for our noon meal. It was a given. I can still hear Dad’s booming voice, “Come on in,” at noontime. My mom was a great cook, and sometimes I think people planned their work around those meal times – just to get a piece of her terrific apple pie!
A few years ago, we had some work done on our house – new flooring, to be exact. Shortly after the workers arrived in the morning, I started to think about what I would make for dinner. By the time, noon arrived, I had a ‘worker-styled’ meal on the table, and I called, “Lunchtime!” One young man replied that they had brought their lunch and they’d just eat it. Of course, I insisted that when they were working at my home, they would be fed, and that they should just save their lunch for another day. He replied, “I should have guessed that we wouldn’t need to pack a lunch, because I know whose daughter you are.” He went on to explain that he knew my parents and their reputation for feeding everyone who happened to stop by. I have to admit, I was pleased. It was great to be linked with such hospitable people.
Those words, “I know whose daughter you are,” still ring in my head. My parents have gone on to be with the Lord, and I miss them every day. But I am thankful for the heritage they left, and whenever someone stops by at mealtime, I remember that line, “I know whose daughter you are.” Often times, I'm embarrassed that it’s just leftovers or a sandwich, but I offer them with the sense of hospitality that my parents taught me.
Recently, I was remembering that line, “I know whose daughter you are,” and I thought about my heavenly Father. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Do people know that besides being Bill and Betty's daughter, I’m also a daughter of the King of Kings? Are my words and actions evidence of that family relationship? Too often, people wouldn’t know that, for my actions are far from His teaching. This verse is a good reminder that I’m a child of the King, and if I want others to know whose daughter I am, I need to live His way.