>Adopted Child

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It seems everywhere I turn adoption is a topic.  It’s one that is close to my heart, and recently it seems that the Holy Spirit has been taking it a little deeper with me.

I’ve been thinking a great deal about my own adoption.   No, not an earthly adoption, but a heavenly one.

The concept of my spiritual adoption greatly overwhelms me sometimes.  The reality that God has a true Son who is perfect, yet He wanted us, too.  So, He surrendered His only begotten Son to horrible cruelties so that we could be His children as well.

That is a concept that would never relate to a human family.  Imagine it with me: Dad and Mom have one child who is perfect, but they see all of these ugly, hateful, disinterested children and long to bring them into the family.  So, they give up their one perfect child.  They know that once he has passed through unspeakable suffering two things will happen.  1) These ugly children they desire will be theirs and 2) their perfect child will be restored to them as well.  The ugly children will take a lot of work, though, and there will be continual tension.  And their perfect child will forever wear the scars of his suffering.

Can you imagine the bitterness and jealousy that would ensue in a human family?  Even in a perfect child? 

Yet, God willingly surrendered Jesus, and Jesus willing surrendered Himself because of an unbelievably passionate love for us. 

But, the thought doesn’t end there.  There continues the reality of how we respond to this adoption.  It’s almost as if we accept the invitation to join the family, but we don’t seem to settle in as a family member.  Instead, we sit on the fringe as guests. 

We are not guests in the family of God.  We are so passionately and amazingly loved that great measures were taken to obtain for us the status of children.  Not foster children who are loved and well cared for but do not share in any inheritance.  No, we are fully adopted children given complete inheritance alongside Jesus Christ Himself. 

Someday my heart and mind will grasp the fullness of that reality.  One day.  Until then, I pray that I can learn more and more what it means to be not a guest or even a foster child but a fully welcomed adopted child of God.