What is it to be adopted? According to Webster, to adopt is, “to take by choice into a relationship especially: to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) as one’s own child.” The subject of adoption is one that is near and dear to my heart and my life, as three of our five children have come to our family through the process of adoption.

If you are unfamiliar with the process of adoption, it is a legal process by which the courts decree that a child legally becomes the child of parents other than those to whom they were born, with, “all of the right and privileges as if they were born to them,” to quote our legal decrees of adoption. We have adopted twice, first in 2014 and had twin boys placed with us in 2018. Their legal decrees of adoption finally arrived yesterday.

We know other families who have adopted children, as well as adults who were adopted as children. If you know one adoption story, you know one adoption story. No two are alike. Some are smooth as butter. Some resemble running a marathon without knowing the location of or distance to the finish line. If you know an adoption story, be thankful, as you have the privilege of trust from whomever shared the story with you.

Much like human adoption, with all its twists, turns, and emotional rollercoasters, our adoption as children of God holds a unique story for each of us. This journey begins with God’s promises in holy baptism, where we are claimed as children of God and given the gift of the Holy Spirit as our lives of faith begin. Each of those faith journeys is unique, with plenty of twists, turns and emotional roller coasters, including fears, joys, doubts, unbelief, and comfort in God’s promises.

However, in our adoption as children of God, we trust that God is always faithful – even when we cannot see what the path forward looks like in our own lives. Just as when humans are adopted or we enter that journey to adopt and provide a stable, loving home for a child who was not born to us, God provides love, care, and grace in our lives even before we know that we need it.

If you are ever curious about adoption or feel called to adopt a child or children, feel free to contact me if you want to know more. We have our stories and are willing to share. They are beautiful and painful, and we give thanks to birth parents who loved their children enough to choose a family to love their children as their very own, just as God loves you as God’s very own child.