Into a Family

Over the years, it has been a great joy to walk with some families through the adoption process.

"For he chose us in him before the world's creation to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, by his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." - Ephesians 1:4-6

In Ephesians 1, Paul uses adoption language to describe our relationship with God. Reflecting on the Apostle's words and my recent brushes with families who have adopted, I am reminded of the following based on the scripture above.

• We are loved before we know we are loved! Each of the families that I am connected with has been in the adoption process for a long time – in one case, longer than the child has been alive! Even while the children were born into difficult places and circumstances, people a long way away loved them deeply. This is the story of Jesus.

• He chose us to be holy. The place where we were brought up, our 'old home,’ was not the nicest. There were struggles, pain, and – certainly for us – sin. God saw the poverty of where we were living and wanted to bring us to a world of prosperity. It is not financial prosperity but spiritual prosperity. The families in adoption have shown great courage not to let those caught in poverty stay in poverty. There are millions more that need to adapt out of spiritual poverty.

• Jesus takes us from the old to the new. In a spiritual sense, Jesus places us in a new family - God's. Adoptive parents endure great pain, offer great sacrifice, and take significant risks to incorporate a new child into their family. Jesus does the same.

• God is familiar with difficult transitions! Both sets of families that I know who have recently adopted have had some 'readjustment' struggles with the children they have adopted. Behavioral, relational, and trust issues seem to be commonplace. In the same way, as we are being transformed and absorbed into God's family, we often have the same issues. Our heavenly Father is full of grace and patience with us.

• Adoption gives Him great pleasure. Despite some of the trauma of transitioning a new child into a new family, adopting a child brings great pleasure and pride. Knowing that things will be forever different, deeper, and richer provides a joy that few other things can match.

I am grateful for adoptive families, who deserve our prayers, and an adoptive Heavenly Father, who deserves my praise.