It's Great to Be Adopted
I celebrated my birthday recently, but my friend Melanie celebrated an equally special day—her adoption day.
Like a birthday only better, her celebration marked the day her parents chose her. She knows her position in their family came about because two people deeply desired her. They were willing to sacrifice to bring her into their family. They chose to pursue her, open their hearts to her, and give her their name.
Some of you know our family also has an adopted child. His name is Winston. Winston’s birthday is somewhere in mid-December, but his adoption day is March 26, my birthday. I tell him he’s the best birthday gift I’ve ever received, because I know he came from the Lord.
Several years before we adopted Winston, we had lost our 17-year-old “firstborn.” The only member of the family with brown eyes like me, Polly was a buff Cocker Spaniel with silky fur and a tiny stub of a tail. Her death left a gaping hole in our family, and we knew we needed another pet.
Instead of purchasing a dog from a breeder, we chose to pursue a rescue. Like many adoptive parents, we researched the best adoption (rescue) agencies. We carefully filled out an application, submitted letters of reference, and agreed to a home visit. Then I spent hours poring over picture after picture of adoptive dogs. The details overwhelmed me, and I finally cried out to the Lord.
Lord, if we’re going to adopt, I need you to send the puppy to us. May I please have a girl dog, because I can’t stand that leg-hiking thing? And if she could have a coat that doesn’t require much grooming, that would be wonderful. I loved Polly’s sweet Cocker Spaniel face and ears, and her easy-going disposition worked well with our family. And would you please send one big enough to take long walks together? Thank you, Amen.
I prayed, and God, through my sister, worked. An email popped up in my mailbox one Sunday afternoon. “If you don’t look at any others,” it said, “look at the first one.” She had attached ten pictures.
This is similar to the first picture I saw.
A Cocker Spaniel/Irish Setter mix, Winston has the face of a Cocker, the smooth coat of a setter, loves to take long walks, has an easy-going disposition, and, though he’s not a girl dog, almost never hikes his leg.
He is a precious and beloved member of our family, and I know he is a perfectly chosen gift from God to us.
My friend Melanie will tell you that there’s something very special about being chosen. If Winston could talk, I think he’d agree.
This is why, when I read in Ephesians 1:4-5 how God chose us to be adopted as his children, I feel pretty special, too.
“For he chose us in him . . . In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”
He sought me. He bought me. He wanted me. He welcomed me into his family, and he is my forever Father. He is yours, too, if you’ve trusted him as your Savior.
By law in every state in the union, a parent may never disown his adoptive child. It is a forever contract. Parents may disown their biological children, but adoptive children are theirs forever. So it is with Christ. When we are adopted into his family, it is forever.
Doesn’t this make you feel special? Cared for? Secure? Loved?
If you’re struggling today, I pray the words of Ephesians 1 will remind you how much God loves you, what great lengths he went to adopt you, and how secure you are as his child.
If you haven’t yet experienced the joy of adoption, I encourage you to click here to read more about how to become part of God’s forever family.
As Melanie, Winston, and I say, “It’s GREAT to be adopted.”
You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.
You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:
• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray?
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me?
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit?
Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul.
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
Like a birthday only better, her celebration marked the day her parents chose her. She knows her position in their family came about because two people deeply desired her. They were willing to sacrifice to bring her into their family. They chose to pursue her, open their hearts to her, and give her their name.Some of you know our family also has an adopted child. His name is Winston. Winston’s birthday is somewhere in mid-December, but his adoption day is March 26, my birthday. I tell him he’s the best birthday gift I’ve ever received, because I know he came from the Lord.
Several years before we adopted Winston, we had lost our 17-year-old “firstborn.” The only member of the family with brown eyes like me, Polly was a buff Cocker Spaniel with silky fur and a tiny stub of a tail. Her death left a gaping hole in our family, and we knew we needed another pet.
Instead of purchasing a dog from a breeder, we chose to pursue a rescue. Like many adoptive parents, we researched the best adoption (rescue) agencies. We carefully filled out an application, submitted letters of reference, and agreed to a home visit. Then I spent hours poring over picture after picture of adoptive dogs. The details overwhelmed me, and I finally cried out to the Lord.
Lord, if we’re going to adopt, I need you to send the puppy to us. May I please have a girl dog, because I can’t stand that leg-hiking thing? And if she could have a coat that doesn’t require much grooming, that would be wonderful. I loved Polly’s sweet Cocker Spaniel face and ears, and her easy-going disposition worked well with our family. And would you please send one big enough to take long walks together? Thank you, Amen.
I prayed, and God, through my sister, worked. An email popped up in my mailbox one Sunday afternoon. “If you don’t look at any others,” it said, “look at the first one.” She had attached ten pictures.
This is similar to the first picture I saw.A Cocker Spaniel/Irish Setter mix, Winston has the face of a Cocker, the smooth coat of a setter, loves to take long walks, has an easy-going disposition, and, though he’s not a girl dog, almost never hikes his leg.
He is a precious and beloved member of our family, and I know he is a perfectly chosen gift from God to us.
My friend Melanie will tell you that there’s something very special about being chosen. If Winston could talk, I think he’d agree.
This is why, when I read in Ephesians 1:4-5 how God chose us to be adopted as his children, I feel pretty special, too.
“For he chose us in him . . . In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”
He sought me. He bought me. He wanted me. He welcomed me into his family, and he is my forever Father. He is yours, too, if you’ve trusted him as your Savior.
By law in every state in the union, a parent may never disown his adoptive child. It is a forever contract. Parents may disown their biological children, but adoptive children are theirs forever. So it is with Christ. When we are adopted into his family, it is forever.
Doesn’t this make you feel special? Cared for? Secure? Loved?
If you’re struggling today, I pray the words of Ephesians 1 will remind you how much God loves you, what great lengths he went to adopt you, and how secure you are as his child.
If you haven’t yet experienced the joy of adoption, I encourage you to click here to read more about how to become part of God’s forever family.
As Melanie, Winston, and I say, “It’s GREAT to be adopted.”
You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.
You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:
• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray?
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me?
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit?
Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you. If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul.
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.
If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.
Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
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Your family is blessed many times over, Carol. And we, as God's adopted kids, are blessed most of all. Thanks for sharing your story :)
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The scripture you used, Ephesians 1:4-5, is one our family talked about last night, as we have many other times in the past. God's love for His children is clear, but at the same time almost more than I can comprehend. Adoption is dear to our hearts for many reasons. My husband and I have an adopted daughter, and our son and his wife have an adopted son. Plus our nephew and niece were adopted by my sister and her husband. And I have several cousins with adopted children. God has blessed us indeed. Thank you for writing. Your work is always such a joy.