November is Adoption Awareness Month, and how better to celebrate the good news of adoption and redemption than to invite a guest blogger to this corner of the internet!
Naomi has some great words to share with us today about the beauty and grace we find- in adoption, and ultimately, in the Gospel itself. Thanks for joining us today, Naomi!
Every adoption is born out of two things: trauma and loss. For an infant, who leaves the hospital in the arms of their loving parents- there is trauma and loss. For a toddler, who cannot verbalize their past and calls their new parents "Mommy" and "Daddy" right away- there is trauma and loss. For a school aged child who for the first time is living as a child instead of as a fill-in parent- there is trauma and loss. For a teen, who finally has someone to provide their needs- there is trauma and loss.
Often, adoption is either romaticized or criminalized. The truth this, it is both beautiful and hard. Adoption should be a story of trauma, loss, and grief that is met with love, compassion, and healing.
How can I state what every adoption story should be? Because that's the way our Father wrote our adoption story. And His Word is the standard by which we should be operating.
Our adoption into the family of God was born in the trauma of sin and loss of relationship with our Father. The realities of trauma, loss, and grief were evident to our Creator, and in the way mankind existed. Brokenness, needs unmet, and hurt so deep it could not heal on its own. We were in need of a loving Father, One who could bring healing, hope, identity, and security.
Our adoption is a story of redemption. Jesus's very life paid the price of our adoption. It was costly- exchanging robes of majesty for swaddles in a manger. At once embracing His glorious power, yet making the choice to lay it down as He hung on the cross. The Bible is clear- He was led away like a sheep to the slaughter, but He made not a sound (Isaiah 53:7). He willingly paid the price of our redemption.
Our adoption didn't end with redemption. It didn't end with us simply escaping eternal separations from God. No, our Heavenly Father continuously pursues our hearts. He welcomes us to come boldly before the throne of grace in times to need (Hebrews 4:16). He has made us joint heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17).
What a tremendous blessing to have our own adoption into the family of God as an example! I know as a mom, when I take the time to remember the way God searched me out, paid the ultimate price for my redemption, and then fully welcomed me into His family- it changes everything. It puts every step into perspective, and it reminds us that struggles need not be setbacks, but catalysts for compassion and connection.
The cost of opening your heart and home to a child in need of a family is not just financial. It's emotional, physical, spiritual, and psychological. Parenting a child whose entrance into your family is born of trauma and loss requires you to walk through grieving and healing with your child. It is an honor, a privilege, and a great responsibility. It affects every aspect of life for every member of your family. But when we assess this in the light of Jesus's life and death- the price He paid for our adoption- it becomes and act of surrendered love, not compulsive sacrifice.
Bringing a child into your family must be an act of love, not an act of heroism. Because the truth is, there is only one Savior, and His and His name is Jesus. We cannot rescue the poor and needy- only He can do that. We cannot redeem the eternal life of a child- only He can do that. But we can, out of an overflow of His love in us, and our love for Him, welcome a child into our family. We can introduce them to the One who can heal their hurts and remind them of the One who can redeem their trauma and transform it into testimony. We can offer them love- the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. We can speak blessings, pray His will, and bring them up in the way they should go. And by His grace, we can meet the needs of our children, whatever they may be.
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Naomi is the author of Don't Waste Your Wait: Embracing the Journey of Bringing Your Child Home. She also writes at her website, Living out 127, and has done a number of speaking engagements and trainings for prospective and current adoptive and foster families.
You can find Naomi at...
Living Out 127
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