Adoption

This little word has been on my mind a lot lately... partly because of fact that we're now looking at our third adoption and I'm very much looking forward to another little person entering our household... more about this later, but also because of it's particular occurrence in this season we call Christmas. The adoption of Jesus into the household of a very young couple. Well, at least from one side. While Jesus mother Mary was certainly the one who gave birth to him, Joseph (according to the Bible) was really an adoptive dad. He took this precious little one into his home and made him his own.

While this might seem not so mind blowing, it's been on my heart lately that without the faithfulness of Joseph... Jesus story of his upbringing might have been very different. We're told very little overall about the early years of Jesus' upbringing and even less about Joseph himself, but it is clear that Joseph seems to have taken his devotion to God seriously enough to make sure that Jesus was brought up well. I guess as much as I see Joseph adopting Jesus... really the roles are/were reversed. God is the one who's ultimately in the adoption business. Not just of humanity or of some obtuse idea but rather as a kindly father who has taken in the strays of this world... more than that, the children of his enemy... to love and care for as His own. Romans 8 has particularly been on my mind. It says...

12So then, brothers, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.       18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

Sons of God!? How could God love so much to take in the broken, the poor, and the powerless ... the mess of this humanity in our sin, and choose to love us. He chose us to be something amazing... check out Ephesians 1

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

We are beloved by God Almighty, the creator and sustainer of heaven and earth. A willful act of Love toward those who are less than worthy. The reason Christmas happened was so that God could step onto this earth to ultimately pay for our sin. We who know Christ have been adopted as children of the King. It's such a priceless gift... love beyond reason. This is why I celebrate Christmas... it's a celebration of the incarnation that allowed a way for my adoption to be completed. The cost of the adoption was incomprehensible and yet God paid it for me.

I love adoption. I am adopted, not physically but rather spiritually. God's been teaching me a lot about that relationship these last three years as we've been so blessed by our two little people. Now as we consider the adoption of their little sister, God's again gotten my attention on just how much love is out there for those who need/seek it. We're hoping to bring home Baby Aletheia ("Lea" <read Leah) in late January or February but that timing is all up to the court systems and the endless red tape of "the system." We're excited to add her to our family and along with our quazi-adopted college student our home is full and joyful! God has so richly blessed us and we cannot wait to see little Lea join our journey.

Adoption should be the heartbeat of every follower of God because each of us has been adopted ourselves. Sons and daughters of the king should find no other proper response than to love on the worlds hurting as God has loved on us. I know that not many will but even if a few do, the impact would be amazing. Each time I look at my kiddos, I'm convicted of the "what could have been" in their lives. These guys are brilliant, bright eyed, personalities with so much potential to be world changers. My heart sinks to think of what their story could have been. We're nothing special as parents but I think because of what God has done in us, we can love on our kiddos in a way I never imagined possible.

Pray for us if you're the praying type... we could use it as we add to our family! If we don't see ya before then... Merry Chirstmas and much love...