I realize that while adoption is a very familiar concept in our family (since we are currently finishing the process of our two children), it may be an unfamiliar topic to many others. However, for believers we should love this topic.
The concept of adoption has been on my heart and mind on and off my whole life. I've resolved that adoption should not be something whisper about. It is something I want our children to embrace and really not have to think about. I want them to be proud of their adoption and not feel different or left to feel awkward. I want them to have a deep sense of belonging in and to our family by the One who has ordained all things. My desire is for them to have a healthy sense of being a part of our family, truly belonging, not because of their own adoption, but in understanding adoption by God's grace they have become our children. I want adoption to be something we don't have to focus on. We may have to answer the following...as to why our skin is not the same color, why we don't have the same blood type, why our eyes are a different color. They are only different in the fact that they were not born to me, but alike in the fact that all of our children were ordained to us whether by birth or adoption by God. As I said, I don't want adoption to be our focus, because God has made them my own and my prayer is He will make them His own. I can only example and teach this to our children in understanding and reveling in my deep sense of belonging to my Heavenly Father! Adoption is God's heart and His design. Consider what J. I. Packer has to say about the doctrine of Adoption:
"Paul teaches that the gift of justification (i.e., present acceptance by God as the world's Judge) brings with it the status of sonship by adoption (i.e., permanent intimacy with God as one's heavenly Father, Gal. 3:26; 4:4-7). In Paul's world, adoption was ordinarily of young adult males of good character to become heirs and maintain the family name of the childless rich. Paul, however, proclaims God's gracious adoption of persons of bad character to become "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17).
Justification is the basic blessing, on which adoption is founded; adoption is the crowning blessing, to which justification clears the way. Adopted status belongs to all who receive Christ (John 1:12). The adopted status of believers means that in and through Christ God loves them as He loves His only-begotten Son and will share with them all the glory that is Christ's now (Rom. 8:17, 38-39). Here and now believers are under God's fatherly care and discipline (Matt. 6:26; Heb. 12:5-11) and are directed, especially by Jesus, to live their whole lives in light of the knowledge that God is their Father in heaven. They are to pray to Him as such (Matt. 6:5-13), imitate Him as such (Matt. 5:44-48; 6:12, 14-15; 18:21-35; Eph. 4:32-5:2), and trust Him as such (Matt. 6:25-34), thus expressing the filial instinct that the Holy Spirit has implanted in them (Rom. 8:15-17; Gal. 4:6).
Adoption and regeneration accompany each other as two aspects of the salvation that Christ brings (John 1:12-13), but they are to be distinguished. Adoption is the bestowal of a relationship, while regeneration is the transformation of our moral nature. Yet the link is evident; God wants His children, whom He loves, to bear His character, and takes action accordingly. "
I find it interesting and telling that God calls us His children/His son/His daughter.However, God does make it clear how we have come to be His children and that avenue is adoption. He primarily calls us "HIS children". God makes it no secret that we have been adopted, it just isn't the focus. We are no longer strangers or enemies of God, we have been made His very own.
This of course, is a facet of Biblical truth that has become very noticeable to me because I am an adoptive mom to a son and daughter from Ethiopia. I/we will not call our children or refer to them as "our adopted children". We will not introduce them as such, because they ARE our children. We have set our affection upon them and they are entitled to everything that a biological child would be entitled to. The fact that they are adopted merely sets the stage for our relationship, it doesn't define it or weaken it.
I pray that you would rejoice in your adoption to God as His son or daughter by His goodness and choice.
Our family's adoption journey. This is about God, His faithfulness and His Sovereignty in our lives. We are praying it is His will to bring home two children from Ethiopia. ...having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:5-6
Current Time in Ethiopia
Current Temp
Me and My Baby!
Kylie, Madison and Parker
My girls!!
My Boy!!
WHY ETHIOPIA? WHY NOT ETHIOPIA?
Our first reason is God called us to go
There are approx. 4.6 million orphans due to AIDS and poverty
One in six children die before they turn 5
One in ten children die before they turn 1
Millions still die of starvation each year
Half the children in Ethiopia will never have an opportunity to attend school
Some parts still practice female circumcision
82% of the population survives on less than 1 dollar a day
Only 1/4 of the entire population has access to safe drinking water
Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000
Children and family are honored above all else threre
1 in 3 people are HIV+ , the average life expectency is between 37-42.
If I lived in Ethiopia, I may have died this year!
There are approx. 4.6 million orphans due to AIDS and poverty
One in six children die before they turn 5
One in ten children die before they turn 1
Millions still die of starvation each year
Half the children in Ethiopia will never have an opportunity to attend school
Some parts still practice female circumcision
82% of the population survives on less than 1 dollar a day
Only 1/4 of the entire population has access to safe drinking water
Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000
Children and family are honored above all else threre
1 in 3 people are HIV+ , the average life expectency is between 37-42.
If I lived in Ethiopia, I may have died this year!
Kingdom Kids Adoption
About Me
- dinah
- Chosen and beloved daughter of the Lord, blessed wife of Michael, Stepmom to Amanda, Mom to Kylie, Madison, Parker and officially Mom to Dawit and Berket as of April 30, 2008 from Ethiopia, and last but not least Grandma to Will and Jayden.
WORSHIP OUR GREAT GOD!!!
