“He sets the lonely in families….” Psalm 68:6a NIV
It wasn’t too long ago in the U.S. that large families were commonplace, and marriage and children were considered an integral part of the “American Dream.” A meal shared with family was a time of fellowship and the prayers of parents for their children were spoken softly before lights were turned out for bed. As the mother of 5 little girls being adopted into our family, I long for that America that I have sadly seen portrayed mostly in old movies and television series. My husband and I are often the focus of smiles and disbelieving stares as we trail through grocery stores and malls with our small brood of beauties following behind, and I must admit it is amusing to watch folks count to see just how many there are.
As we discovered God’s will for our lives in the arena of adoption, it was not our plan to grow a large family, but simply to open our hearts and homes to whoever God would send. Each child has come suddenly and unexpectedly into our lives, and each one has brought their own special set of blessings and challenges. From addictions at birth to language barriers to legal issues, we have seen firsthand the miracle-working power of God in the lives of each of our children. Often when it would seem as though hope was lost to rescue one more, His hand would miraculously move on their behalf and soon another bed or crib was added to the Beck household as we joyfully held one more miracle in our arms.
Having had such wonderful experiences with our children has fueled our passion to become advocates for children in need of foster care and/or adoption. It is not unusual to find one of us talking to someone in a grocery store or restaurant about why they should consider opening their hearts and home to a child in need of a family. The responses we get are varied and often disheartening. “Wow, bless you guys for being willing to do that; I never could!” “What if it didn’t work out; that would just be too hard.” At times it’s been difficult for my husband to swallow the constant comments about him being “crazy” for taking in 5 girls, as though the privilege of being their father is somehow not enough. The most heartbreaking moments are when the comments come from Christians who have forgotten a very simple fact – every person in the Body of Christ is adopted.
Ephesians 1:3-5 (KJV) paints a powerful picture of the “adoption process” for believers. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 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 made us accepted in the Beloved.
Just like the millions of orphans around the world who sleep each night on the streets, or in tents or orphanages, every one of us was once an orphan spiritually speaking. Ephesians 2 tells us that without Christ, we were strangers without hope and without God (the ultimate Father) in the world. Aren’t you glad that God didn’t look at the plan of redemption and say, “Hmmm….I’d do that redemption thing, but I think I’d be heartbroken if sometimes it didn’t work out.” Or how about, “Wow, that’s an awfully big family – I’m not sure I want to do that.” No! He moved forward with the spiritual adoption process even though He knew the process would be painfully long, and that even after it was completed there would be some who wouldn’t believe or even turn back. Despite the obstacles, Father God willingly chose to take on the parental duties and responsibility of the largest family on earth, the Body of Christ.
As I write this article there are a thousand other things I could be doing. There are dishes in the sink, laundry to catch up on, school papers to sort through from last year and plenty of adoption paperwork still to be done. These are all duties of choice. We sometimes laugh about our “single” days, referring to married life before each of our girls came home. There was more time, less laundry, and fewer trips the grocery store and doctor’s and dentist’s offices. There was also less laughter and more stress, as we often focused too much on ourselves, and many events and activities that now seem meaningless. Our greatest joys these days are the sounds of our children’s laughter, watching little girls spin in new dresses, kissing boo-boos, wiping away tears and family prayer times each night before bed.
So, the next time you see a commercial about sponsoring a child, read an article about international adoption, or see an ad about foster care, don’t think “I could never do that.” Open your heart to whatever part God might give you to play in bringing the children of the world to Himself. There are over 145 million orphans around the world waiting for the Body of Christ to answer the call and yield to the Spirit of Adoption. What greater way to show the love of Christ to a lost and dying world than to model the beautiful picture of adoption through your own family? Of course I know that not everyone reading this will adopt a child, but it is my firm believe that although one person can’t do everything, everyone can do something! Allow God’s love to fill your heart today for the orphans waiting for someone to hold them in their arms and shower the precious gift of a family into their lives. Maybe you’ll pray; maybe you’ll give; maybe you’ll volunteer at an orphanage for a week; maybe you’ll be a youth mentor; or maybe you will adopt. Whatever your part in God’s plan for the little ones waiting for the love of Jesus to find them, I promise you this – it will touch the very heart of the Father and cause your heart to soar as you experience the joy of the Spirit of Adoption.