EASTER... ADOPTION

Holy Week. Passion Week. Easter Week. 

The week celebrated of our Savior's death and resurrection. Thankful...

The week that made our full adoption possible. 

ADOPTION was God's Plan A. I'm sure since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, He longed to have intimate relationships with His people again. He longed for them to be able to come boldly and confidently into His Presence. He longed to hold them personally and to give comfort to each one of us individually.  That was able to happen only because of the cross and His adoption of us! 

This week my heart has been really aching to just have Eric and Ziggy here.  To just be able to hug them and tell them how much we have already loved them.  To shower them with blessings and love and FAMILY.  We are getting close to getting our referrals - the actual pictures of them, their medical records, education info, etc! I check my email every few seconds to make sure I don't have an email titled "Referral" (I might pass out when I actually receive it). I am so anxious to see their faces, to know their stories, and to be their momma.  

I think I am feeling a small bit of what God was feeling for us before Jesus and the cross.  He couldn't wait to love on us personally through His Word and His Holy Spirit. He was passionately waiting to send His Son. He longed for us to be in His family so desperately He was willing to watch His Son die... so we could know Him. He wanted to be our Abba Daddy. 

Because of Jesus' sacrifice we can be adopted into the family of a loving and just God. But think about it...

⁴ But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. ⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:4-7

Adoption is costly. We have been raising LOTS of money personally (and continue to do so) just to be able to get our kiddos. We used a lot of time, tears, and paper for the adoption of our boys to be processed. Our adoption into the family of God... cost Jesus His blood... His life.

Adoption rescues. Not that we are trying to save the world, but we will forever change the family tree of Eric and Ziggy. They will be taken from the status of ORPHAN and given a family. They will be rescued from the streets... where they would be sent after aging out of the orphanage... and placed into our home and family... a family overflowing with love. Jesus rescued us from eternal separation from Him, from sin, from ourselves.  He adopted us because of His great love for us... we needed a Savior. 

Adoption changes names. AHH!!! Our boys will have our last name!! That is the most awesome thing ever! Their complete identity will change... from having a last name of a family who left them to have the last name of their new, forever family!!! O YES! In the same way, when we are ADOPTED by our Father, our identity is completely changed! We go from slaves of sin to being legal sons of God! God, the Judge, has declared us so!!!! AMEN! We have new names in Him! We have new identity and worth and purpose and plans as sons and daughters of the living God! 

Just like Eric and Ziggy are our sons (although living miles apart), we are sons and daughters of the King of the Universe. We are heirs. We are deeply cared for. He longs to be gracious to us. He wants the best for us. He desires to talk with us, to spend time with us, and for us to run to Him and cry "Daddy!" 

I know what it is like waiting for an adoption to be final... and I'm sure during this week 2,000 years ago God was so anxious to hug His children tight! Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in each believer... WE ARE ADOPTED! WE ARE SIGNED, SEALED, and DELIVERED!