Well, its been a few weeks since we started this whole adoption thing. And the funds haven't been piling in as we first thought. The whole "announcement" of our intentions to adopt was a little anti-climactic. We thought everyone would be super excited and hop on board, but what we received was a few passionate responses and a lot of blank or empty stares. The whole concept of adoption seems to be a bit frightening in our consumer "me first" American culture. But we have seen God use those few passionate people to deeply impact us and give us great hope for what He is doing. We are also growing stronger in our trust of this 11:59.59 God who usually comes through at the last possible second in order to assure all those watching Who is actually doing the great work.
A few passages from Paul's letter have made me as excited as ever about this adoption. In Romans 8 Paul states:
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.And by him we cry, "Abba,Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Later he states:
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
And in Ephesians 1 he writes:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
And it dawned on me through these passages an amazing thought. I'm not sure if you realize it or not, but, if you call Jesus your Savior, YOU ARE ADOPTED! All of us, born into the sin of Adam, raised far outside Eden, in a sick and poor world, have been rescued from our hopeless plight by an amazing Father who has freely and joyously made us a part of His family forever. This is great news!
And what gets me so excited and pumped about this is that we all serve a God who is in the business of adoption. One of His number one passions is to seek out those who not a part of His family and to adopt and unite them into His family through the precious sacrifice of His son, now our older brother, Jesus Christ.
So no matter how many blank stares or curious looks we get, I can trust that God is beaming! That He is overjoyed at our choice to model, though imperfectly, what He has been doing since the creation of the world.
I'm excited because God is excited. I'm overjoyed because Jenny and I get the awesome opportunity to display God's never ending and furious love to all those that are watching our lives.
So, to all those who are considering adoption but haven't quite felt the "spirit's leading", I say, "Go for it! God has already given you the green light. Sell your car...cash out that 401K...and bring a precious little child into your family and display in brilliant clarity the love and grace of God to the world that needs to see it so badly!"
Until next time...
-Chase
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