Awareness

So November is National Adoption Awareness month.  Not sure where these months come from, but regardless I will take advantage of the opportunity to share the miracle of adoption with as many people as I can.

To say that adoption touches lives and changes lives is a vast understatement.  Anyone who is adopted, has adopted, is in a family that has adopted, or are friends with anyone that has adopted knows that lives are changed through this thing called adoption.  Children are saved, set in a family who loves them unconditionally, and in many cases grow to know and love Jesus.  But that is just the adopted child's obvious change.  The truth is that God changes lives.  He is the only One who can.  He touches peoples hearts and moves them to want to adopt and then miracles happen and families are formed through His design. 

There are so many parallels between adoption and our relationship with Jesus.  You have probably heard some of these before.  Jesus himself was adopted in a way by Joseph, His earthly father.  God told Joseph to make Jesus His son.  Many of you adoptive parents know what it is to hear the voice of God telling you to make this child your own.  There are many adopted individuals mentioned in the Bible:  Esther was adopted by her relative, Moses was adopted by royalty, Samuel was given back to God through Eli at the temple.

But the most alive parallel for me, the one I read about before, but never really understood until meeting Gaby and Macy is that we are all adopted into God's family.  The Bible tells us that God grafts us into Himself, into His family tree.  It says that He adopts us as sons, gives us His inheritance.  The Bible says He does this out of His will (God wants Him to as it is following His will) and out of His pleasure (He wants to and enjoys it).

I have never felt, understood, and believed the love of God for me as fully as when I held my adopted daughters.  I pray that each of you can point to a time in your life where you had this revelation of the love of Jesus.

So that is what I would say to you about Adoption Awareness.  Be aware that God wants you and is pleased with you.  He wants you in His family.  He already paid the price to make it possible.  He doesn't just want to adopt you and then go on with something new.  He wants to be your Daddy and loves spending time with you.

I believe He wants you to adopt and when He places that desire in your heart and mind, you will be so full of pleasure you will explode and want to share that love with everyone, especially your new heir.