The Point of it All

Our children – adopted or biological, are not our own. They are entrusted to us, by God, that we might steer them towards a relationship with Christ. Though we call them "sons and daughters," in reality they belong to their Creator God.

For awhile, God allows us to take them as our own. He allows us to hold them, comfort them and care for them. He allows us to wipe away their tears, sing them to sleep, laugh with them and help them learn from life's hard lessons and choices. We are commanded in His Word to teach them, discipline them and love them. And though we "rescue" and "restore" the orphan – the greatest gift we can ever give them is Christ.

Yes. We are called to adopt. Yes. We are called to care for the orphans and the widows. Yes. We are called to speak up for the oppressed. But our greatest goal, the bottom line of it all is the eternal perspective. We are to lead our children to Christ.

No matter if God has chosen to bless you with biological children or children by his supernatural way of adoption – forefront in our minds should always be the child's salvation. On those days, when you are exhausted and you wonder if its worth all the stress and trouble, when your child seems to relentlessly disobey or struggle – remember…the goal isn't happiness, but rather, holiness.

One year ago, our son ran towards us as we pulled up to his orphanage. We had come to begin the process of adoption. We had come to redeem him. We had come to rescue him. He was afraid, alone, hungry and dirty. This past week, on Good Friday, a year ago from that same day when our son ran towards us yelling, "Momma, Poppa" he ran towards His Creator. His God. Our son, asked Jesus into his heart. He had been lonely, hungry for righteousness and dirty with sin. After he prayed, when asked who God was to him, he replied, "He's my Dad!"

In-between those days – one year apart, I had cried many tears of frustration and desperation. Our son's pain and his behavior at times, were so intense, that I could lose sight of the point of it all. Yes. We had been entrusted with a special little boy. Yes, we would glean much joy from raising him. Yes, t times, it will be extremely difficult. But it isn't only about our happiness – it is about holiness. It is about pointing our son to Christ. It's about running to our Savior, shouting, "Abba, Daddy!" It's about leaving behind what we knew – the sorrow of the world – the pain of being an orphan and entering into an inheritance with our God and King.

No longer lonely, no longer hungry, no longer filthy with sin…our son is redeemed. He is restored. His sins are no more – they have been paid for by the blood of the Lamb. God met him running from the orphanage that is the world and welcomed him into his family of adopted sons and daughters.

That is the point of rescuing and restoring the orphan – that Christ might rescue and restore!

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So that you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Galations 4:6-7

Joy