Adoption is at the Heart of the Gospel

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" Romans 8:15

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Galatians 4:4-6

Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:4-6

Adoption is at the heart of the Gospel. There are several biblical instances of adoption, such as the adoptions of Moses and Esther. In both cases, God used their new life circumstances for His glory. Even more apparent is that our relationship as children of our Heavenly Father, as demonstrated by the verses above, is made through adoption.

All of my children are adopted. I love them deeply. Yet for all my love, there have been trying times. One child, extremely angry over his life circumstances, has allowed his heart to be eaten up with rage and self-centeredness. You may think it unkind of me as a mother to say such a thing about my child, but I could tell you many things which have happened that demonstrate this. Has this child been difficult to love? Yes, at moments, because I am sinful. Will the reward ever be known? I don't know, but God has shown me much about who He is and who I am through these circumstances. And, graciously, He has given me a great love for this child who so desperately needs the hope of Christ. God has also made very real to me the fact that He alone can bring true healing to the human heart.

If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that prior to knowing Christ, we too were ugly on the inside (and occasionally after knowing Christ), yet He loves us. The Bible tells us that we love Him because He first loved us. Yes, even as we were ugly and "unlovable". Despite who I was, my God was faithful to adopt me as a co-heir with Christ.

Isaiah 64:6 teaches us that our righteous acts prior to grace are as filthy rags (or filthy garments or polluted garments, depending on the translation). When my child does disgusting things to exert control or does cutesy things that ring false to gain favor, I must remember the state of my own garments before knowing Christ.

As an adopted child, I cost the Father greatly. His Son carried the burden of my sin. Yet, He has remained steadfast in His relationship with me. Through adopting my children, I have experienced motherhood, a wonderful privilege accompanied by tender moments and humorous moments. I have also experienced knowing God more, and learning about the wickedness of my heart.

My love is not as easy and forgiving as I once thought it. My perseverance and patience is not longsuffering. My ability to put my neighbor or even my child's needs above my own has been weak, at times. But, through it all, God has brought me into a deeper knowledge of Him, a more honest examination of myself, and a life that has eternal meaning. He is teaching me to be faithful, to persevere, to show a true love rather than a fickle one.

I don't know for what purpose God chose my children out of the millions who need mothers and fathers, but I do know that He chose them to be mine for a time. I pray that one day His call on their lives will bring glory and honor to Him and His truth will be made known in a greater capacity. I thank Him for the privilege of loving my children and having them for however long He allows me to.

To learn more about how adoption is at the heart of the gospel, I strongly urge you to read this message by John Piper and the accompanying letter he wrote his wife as he shared his commitment with her to adopt their daughter.

Children's Hospital, Kyiv

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James 1:27

When we travelled to Ukraine to adopt, the process took much longer than we originally anticipated. During the weeks when we were literally just waiting for another appointment to obtain a child referral, we had the privilege of visiting several orphanages and a children's hospital. We spent many days visiting the children's hospital. The benefit was mutual--it helped us pass the time and it gave the children fun visits and attention they so desperately needed.

Young children who were abandoned or found living on the streets were sent here, as well as sick children from the orphanages. If a child was abandoned in Kyiv or the surrounding area, they were supposed to spend one month here before being sent to an orphanage to begin the twelve month wait to be eligible for adoption. Sometimes, there was no space for them in the orphanage, so they would languish at this hospital for up to six months or more...not even beginning the paperwork necessary to start the twelve month wait to be eligible for adoption.



This was an eye opening experience for dh and I. The building was an old communist style building--note the metal bars on the windows. The conditions were appalling--filthy floors, horrid baths and toilets, thin mattresses (sometimes rotting) on metal springs and old dirty blankets. There were no toys, no crayons, no paper or books except what the friend we visited with gave to the girls. There were no adults spending time with the children. They saw an adult at mealtime as workers dropped off a tray with porridge and extremely hot tea for young children and the doctor occasionally. When the children were done eating, the remains of the food and dishes were placed in a wooden cabinet for retrieval, sometimes sitting there for many hours. The downside of this was that workers could pick up the trays without having to interact with the children again. The employees at the hospital seemed nice, and were always pleased to see our friend coming to spend time with the orphans. I have no way of knowing, but I'd like to believe they would have done more had they been given the resources to do so.




In addition to orphans, Ukranian citizens brought their children here for care. The conditions were not greatly better for those children, although they obviously got much more love and attention.

When we visited, we always brought fresh fruit, sausage, sometimes bread, and juice as well as bubbles, coloring books, etc. The smiles from the children made every moment there worthwhile. I will never forget the girls we played with as well as the little boy upstairs who was still in a crib.

The children were precious. Obviously, they had faced difficult circumstances early in their childhood, and some were handling it better than others. But, as with any children, they loved human interaction, and enjoyed playing, coloring and talking. Watching their faces light up upon our arrival and hearing their laughter during our visits made us feel good. Hearing their cries when we left after several hours, knowing they had to while away the time for sometimes hours, sometimes days before another visit broke our hearts.

These children were beautiful to us.The plight of these children still weighs on my heart deeply. We have been given so much, and so little was needed to brighten their day--more than material things, they just needed a human connection. I know we cannot aid every child, but we can make a difference in the lives of a few. To learn more about the situation these children face and how you can help, visit Hopeful Hearts Foundation's website. They regularly send ministry teams to paint rooms, replace beds, provide foods, secure medicine, etc. They spend time playing with the children. They send occupational therapists to work with the children and show the orphanage staff how to help the children with developmental delays. Most importantly, they share the love of Christ with children and adults they come into contact with while working there.

Poost Bog Blagoslavit Vas

Many people have asked what Slava Bogu means. It means "Praise God" in Russian. It is one of the many Russian phrases we learned while spending the summer of 2005 in Ukraine. It is also probably the most important phrase we learned.

We spent 6 weeks and two days separated from our 3 year old daughter as we sought out the children God would have us adopt. While the end result made the journey worthwhile, I have to be frank in saying that after three weeks in Ukraine with the process to adopt a particular child not begun, we were somewhat discouraged. The most difficult decision of our married lives was made during that time when we visited a child that we did not have a peace about adopting. I remember weeping into the night, second guessing ourselves, and to this day remember the child frequently, praying for him as he comes to mind, although sadly, I don't pray for him daily as I was sure I would in the intensity of that moment.

While the adoption process was discouraging, we had the pleasure of staying with a Christian lady and visiting her church several times. This was of great encouragement to us. Singing praises to our Lord in English while our brothers and sisters were singing praises in Russian was a highlight of our trip. Worshipping with people of other tribes and tongues seemed to be a glimpse of heaven. And so, declaring Slava Bogu! Praise God! reminded us of whom we had placed our hope in--the Living God who had led us thus far.

And by the way, Poost Bog Blagoslavit Vas means "May God bless you all!"

To read more about our 2005 adoption journey, visit www.caringbridge.org/al/theoues .