Adopted!

I was raised in a close-knit family.  There weren’t very many of us; but what we lacked in numbers, we made up for in fervor.  We loved each other well in both word and deed.  My childhood was safe and carefree, and I was blessed to know God from an early age.

But I didn’t know much about the real world.  Probably due to my parents’ personalities, there wasn’t a lot of interaction with others outside of our family.  We literally did everything together, and our love was largely reserved for those within our own family.  I thought everyone else was just like me and my family.

When I used to read about how God has adopted us into his family (Ephesians 1:4-6), I only vaguely understood the concept.  As far as I know, I only knew two adopted people when I was growing up – a 4^th grade classmate and her brother who had been Korean orphans adopted together by the same family long before I knew them.  I remember walking to the courthouse for a field trip on the day they became citizens of our country.  But since their adoptive parents loved and cared for them well, I never thought much about their adoption.

Fast-forward fifty years: I’m beginning to get a better picture of God’s love and generosity in choosing to adopt us into his family – as I have watched my son and daughter-in-law journey through the process of adopting my new grandson from the foster parenting system.  The truth that love is a choice has never been as personal as it is to me right now.  To be chosen and adopted by God is not something any of us should take for granted!

Here’s something else I’ve learned along the way.  Because my upbringing conditioned me to love family more than others, I never thought loving an adopted child would be easy for me.  But I have learned that a child is a child – and that God has given all of us the capacity to love others deeply if we are willing to make that choice.  I can’t imagine that Jacob could be more loved – even if he was our biological grandchild!

When I think about God choosing to love and adopt us, I am reminded of one other thing.  Jacob is an innocent child who didn’t ask for or cause any of what happened to him in his biological family.  But we are all sinners who have rebelled against God (Romans 3:23) – and yet he still chooses to love and adopt us.  Although not perfect, Jacob is so much easier to love than I must be to God.  That Almighty God wants to be in relationship with me despite my selfishness and sinfulness is both a miracle and a mystery.  May I never lose sight of this, and may I continue to grow in my ability to love others as God loves me.