Adoption

Our family has an unusual dynamic in the area of adoption. We have an adopted son. My brothers both have adopted sons. My brother-in-law has two adopted daughters. All of these adopted children were raised as if they had been born into our families. I hope that means that we are a caring, loving bunch of humans.

When we adopted our son, he was an eleven year rambunctious old kid from Costa Rica. He couldn’t speak English, but he learned very quickly. He had been in an orphanage for three years after surviving on the streets for his first eight years. It was a tough adjustment for all of us. (We already had three other children.) We certainly had our ups and downs. But he turned out great and we are thankful for him and all that God has taught us through this adventure.

Being adopted means having all the rights and privileges of a naturally born heir. Did you know that you are God’s adopted child if you have believed in His Son? John 1:12-13 says: “… as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, 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.” And in Galatians 4:4-5, Paul states that “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

Pretty amazing, when we stop to think about it, isn’t it! We weren’t worthy. There was nothing special about us other than that he chose to love us and make us His sons and daughters. That’s grace in action.

Our son frequently tells us how thankful he is that we adopted him. He knows that, if it hadn’t been for us taking him into our loving family, his life would have been a disaster. How long has it been since you thanked God for embracing you as His own? For rescuing you from what might have been? I’m thanking Him now. And I’m doing it often. How about you?