In 2009 our lives would change forever. Not just for the fact that Jackson became apart of our family but because our view of God’s adoption of us dramatically changed. It’s not that I had not thought about Spiritual adoption before, but it was not until we were going through the process with Jackson that I really started to grasp that God truly adopted me. I mean, He didn’t have to do it; I certainly don’t deserve it, yet He adopted me through the death of Jesus Christ. His abundant mercy and grace are matchless to anything anyone can offer. His love is overwhelming yet He desired to adopt me into His family forever.
When you look at adoption in this light it starts to make sense that following James 1:27, really is a very practical way to show the glory and majesty of Christ. I remember growing up that while I knew people who adopted, it really never was promoted much in churches I was around. Often time adoption was looked at as a last resort to parents who wanted children, a last means to a “complete family” What an insult to adoptive parents everywhere! By relating God’s adoption of us, we realized that adoption should be a serious consideration for every family and that the church should be leading the charge to come to the aid of children who are orphans and those who’s parents are unable to take care of them.
Jackson is apart of our family because by God’s grace we desired to take him as our son. We love him with all our heart and are so grateful each day that we are blessed to have him in our life. In reality, God used Ava’s life to bring Jackson into ours, much like on a superior level, God used Christ death to bring us in right relationship with Himself.
It is our prayer that if the Lord allows, we will one day be able to provide a home for other children who desperately need to know the love of Christ.
Here are two books that radically challenged our view of adoption:
Adopted for Life by Russell Moore
Orphanology by Tony Merida and Rick Morton
