When I was in sixth grade my parents took me out of school for a day. Dad never missed work but he did that day because my brother and me were going to get our “names changed”. All I remember about the day was their excitement and that they bought Mike and me a new pair of shoes and an ice cream cone to celebrate.
About 12 years later I was in the Navy when a shipmate said he was going to finalize the adoption of his son. “Today we are going to court to get his name changed.” Lightbulbs went off in my head as I flashed back to getting my name changed. That was the first time it dawned on me – I WAS ADOPTED!
Two things are obvious: My (step)dad did an awesome job of treating me and my brother just like the four children he later had with my mother. And, secondly, it’s a pretty stunning testimony to how clueless I often am to things going on around me.
If you are adopted or have adopted children let me share a word of Biblical encouragement:
- God has you in His plan
Perhaps you were abandoned, your parents died or for whatever reason they could not or did not care for you. No matter the reason, God was not caught off guard.
- Many of the greats of Scripture were not raised by their natural parents.
Daniel – stripped from his parents by war. Joseph – lost his whole family due to evil brothers. Esther – her parents were dead – probably casualties of war – and a cousin raised her. Moses – adopted by Pharaoh. Finally, God even chose to have his own son, Jesus, raised by a step-dad. These are just a few of God’s greats who He chose to have raised by someone other than their birth parents.
Could it be God has a great plan for you, like these Bible greats – a plan that required someone other than your birth parent(s) raise you?
You can be sure this is not Plan B. Before you were conceived God was at work orchestrating and arranging all the players for all the parts that make up the symphony of your life. He has beautiful music He wants to share with the world through you.
Embrace His plan for you and realize God has great things in store for you and has arranged unique life experiences to prepare you for the purpose He wants to accomplish through you.
You are twice chosen. Your heavenly Father chose you but you were also chosen by your earthly parents.
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. – Ephesians 1:5
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