A while back, I posted my first international blog. While I wasn’t traveling for the Race, the Lord still taught me so much through my experience in Italy, mostly through the process of claiming our citizenship.
So, the one thing I want you to know about my time in Italy: Citizenship in Italy and in Heaven (might be the same place, honestly ;)) is a matter of blood.
Okay, so let me explain, because that might seem sort of gruesome, but it’s beautiful, I promise. I’ll start with Italy.
I grew up very aware of my Italian heritage. My paternal grandmother, through whom it came, has always been very proud of her roots and made sure her family was, too. About a year ago, my aunt discovered that we could obtain Italian citizenship because of that heritage, so we began the arduous process to make it happen.
Basically, the way it works is this: the Italian government doesn’t recognize citizenship the same way the American government does. In America, you are considered a citizen if you were born on American soil. In Italy, you are considered a citizen if you were born of Italian blood. If you are, you can claim your right to your heritage through your blood. However, you can also renounce your heritage. Either is possible, but you can choose to not claim or renounce and just live life without it. One also must claim it for themselves. As an adult, I couldn’t let my parents claim their citizenship and automatically have mine. I needed to make the decision and sign the papers on my own.
So, because my great-great-grandparents are both Italian citizens by blood, and because no one in our family line since then has renounced their Italian citizenship, we now have the right to claim it. It doesn’t matter that we’re also citizens in another country, because it’s not our fault we were born in this place. But through their blood, my grandparents are able to give me citizenship in Italy (and also the entire European Union).
When this was all explained to me, God opened my eyes to how citizenship in His kingdom works.
In John 1:12-23, it says, “But as many as received [Jesus], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
How are we born of God? By His Son’s blood. Through Jesus’ blood, through His death on the cross as sacrifice for our sins, we have the right to become citizens of Heaven.
Okay, so check it out. We do not choose where we are born, or in what circumstances. It is not our fault that we are sinful, that we are naturally citizens of the world.
But God gives us a way out. Jesus is the way. We can claim the gift He gives us, freely, any time, because we know His blood covers us. We also can renounce that gift, or ignore it, living without citizenship in Heaven. We also need to choose it for ourselves. Just because our family has claimed citizenship in Heaven doesn’t mean we automatically do. We need to make that decision on our own.
The best part of claiming citizenship in Heaven is that there is no paperwork required – just faith. A call to Jesus, asking Him to recognize your claim (spoiler, He always will). There’s no paperwork, but there is a cost: YOU. Just like my newfound family in Italy wants me to return, to use my citizenship and be proud of it, Jesus wants His citizens to do the same. The process of citizenship, in Heaven or in Italy, isn’t to have one good experience and then be done. It will change your entire life in the best way. It will cause you to make different decisions, to consider other people, to dream bigger dreams because you can.
But there’s one thing that citizenship in Italy can’t give me that citizenship in Heaven can: Eternity.
That’s right – if we claim citizenship in Heaven, we get it forever. Even after our bodies perish, our souls have a place to go. A beautiful, pain-free, joyful, glorious eternity to share with the guy who gave it to us.
When my family went through the process of claiming our Italian citizenship, we had someone helping us through it…getting documents prepared and to the right people, setting up lodging with our hometown, translating for us, etc. If you want someone to be your ‘middle man’ to navigate your heavenly citizenship, PLEASE reach out to me. Maybe you’ve never claimed it, or your parents did and you thought that was good enough. Maybe you’ve never wanted it, and want to know why I think it’s so important. Maybe you’ve renounced it, and don’t think you can get it back. Whatever your cit-uation (haha) I would love to talk to you about it.
Let me leave you with one last truth…God’s immigration policy, if you will. 🙂
John 6:37 “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” – Jesus
