The Joy of a Mother and Father Adopting
Yesterday I got to see, first hand, the joy of a mother and father adopting. The child, around the age of 4 months, didn’t know where he was. And, he didn’t care. All he knew was that his mother was holding him, feeding him, and smiling at him. He was quite possibly the smile-iest baby I’ve ever seen. His mother, his adoptive mother, was so proud of him. And his father, his adoptive father, was by his side.
Even if this baby were the last one this couple will hold, I don’t think it would’ve changed a thing about their countenance. Their joy was steady and content. They didn’t pursue adoption out of need, but out of fullness.
Adopting out of fullness – a God-like Endeavor
There is something god-like when we adopt out of fullness. I say “god-like” because it is quiet simply, like God. The story of God’s dealing with a special people from every tribe of the earth is a story of adoption. Abraham was adopted. The nation of Israel was adopted. Jesus was adopted by Joseph. The nations and languages that God draws to himself He completes through adoption. Adoption is an act of acceptance. Adopting someone is accepting them into your family. In the same way, God accepts His former enemies, giving them the same seat at the table as His Son – Jesus of Nazareth.
No Void to Fill
God had no void to fill when He adopted. He was not waiting around for children to make His world complete. God isn’t more satisfied now than He was before he spoke every molecule into motion. He isn’t more satisfied having adopted us than He was before.
Yet, without diminishing that truth, there is a a parallel reality – so pervasive it doesn’t need words. God’s heart bursts with joy, not only because he is a father, but also because he is The Father. And this joy precisely depends on adoption.
In the same way, this family had a goodness about them that lacked no good thing. Yet, when I looked into this adoptive mother’s eyes I knew she was happier, now, that she had ever been.
As Adoptive Parents, We Must Remember This
If we look to our children to satisfy “all our longings,” then longings are all we will have. We can’t approach foster care or adoption with anything other than a cup overflowing. And that cup must overflow with one thing: the joy and satisfaction that comes from knowing the God who adopted us.
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The Court Has One Important Reason to Grant TPR
