When the results came back, I have to admit I was shocked.
Have you done any research into your family genealogy? I have never before been that interested in who I was descended from, and don’t have much family memorabilia or records to delve into the past.
We did have family stories, however, and they all were pretty consistent. My family tales related we descended from Irish immigrants who came into the Carolinas and slowly traveled into Missouri and Mississippi.
The names Allen, Ellard and Crest,” were passed down. My mother’s dad was also said to have come from Dutch ancestors, and they called him a “flat-headed Dutchman.” My father was said to have been “Black Irish,” the black haired, blue eyed strain as opposed to the red haired, freckled branch.
My mother was a fiery tempered, determined lady — supposedly from her Irish heritage. Her father told ghost stories that he claimed were true; said that he had second sight and could see spirits.
So I grew up identifying as Irish and with the characteristics I thought came from that race of people.
Gary decided he wanted us to do the test where you send in your DNA and get reports back on genetic testing into who your ancestors were by where the DNA traced back to. Supposedly very accurate, the tests take a while to send in and get back the results.
Well, we were shocked!
Gary’s people came from Oklahoma and he had been told were Irish, German, American India and English. “Kelly” and “Bunch” were family surnames.
He was surprised at his DNA results, too.
Here I had always thought I was Irish, wanted to travel to my ancestral homeland and see it and experience it. Well, it’ll have to be a modified plan.
Turns out I am descended 47 percent England/Northwestern Europe; 21 percent Scotland; 10 percent Sweden and Denmark; 10 percent Germanic Europe; five percent Norway, four percent Ireland and three percent Wales.
Lots of family stories must have gotten lost!
Maybe there comes a time in our lives when we begin to wonder where we did come from and what journeys our people made in the past for us to arrive where we are today. I wish I could ask my parent and grandparents more about what they knew.
The Bible tells us more about who we are: more important than who our past relatives were.
Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Amazing! Created by God and in His image — what an honor and privilege.
Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
2 Corinthians 3:16, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Romans 10:12 assures us, “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him.”
God made us, we have a purpose in Christ, we can be made new in Him through Christ, and we are all the same before Him, and all can come to Him! — what an amazing ancestry!
I’m satisfied!
