Adopted.

Adoption has become a very heavy backdrop theme for this whole year so far. At the beginning of 2015, we found out my brother Brian and his wife Jordyn had finally been matched with a birth mom! (I could go into details of God's orchestration and the blood, sweat, and paper cuts they've poured into this past 3 years in working toward the call of adoption. But that's another blog.) We celebrated this match for a couple of months. Then, we found out the baby is a girl and our celebration escalated. Then last month, we threw a shower for Jordyn. Now, I'm amazed at how fitting it is that Easter should fall just before we expect this Gift to be born. 

Because what I've seen my brother and his wife do is nothing short of miraculous and divinely fueled. They have shown this baby girl the type of love that God shows us. They've been steadfast, determined, stoped at nothing. Torn down walls, dealt with heartache, silence and roadblocks all the way in their pursuit of this baby. If you're trying to scare and talk somebody out of adopting, you chose the wrong couple. Because a parent will do anything for their child. Bri and Jo are not adopting because it sounds heroic, romantic and adventurous, but because they're committed. God's called them and they're determined to be obedient. 

On an Easter Sunday, I'm humbled and reminded of the precious gift and highly personal reality of adoption. Because we as Jesus people are all adopted. We've even desired, ached for, missed and prayed over before we came into existence. We have been fought for, welcomed and given new stories and identity. Jesus didn't only step into our stories and snatch us out of a tight spot and rescue us. Which is what He did, and highly admireable. He could have taken us, bratty, needy and undesirable orphans as we are and dropped us off in an orphanage out of harms way. That would have been more than we could've asked for. He does us one better though. Because we're invited-  He took us in. Didn't just save us, but restored us. He didn't just withhold judgement, but replaced judgement with gifts- tons of gifts.

And you and I? We weren't what you'd think of as orphans. We were much less Orphan Annie, and much more child soldiers. Rebellious. Hate-spewing. Wicked. Unworthy. There wasn't anything about us that would drive Christ to do what He did. It was all because of who He is and what He's done. If it were about us even a little bit, we'd be royally screwed. But since it's not we aren't. 

I'm really thankful for fathers who refuse to give up on their kids. Especially mine. Even when I was acting as if I wanted Him to give up. Because I actually didn't want that at all and was only trying to scare Him off and put up walls. 

Little did I know...I was messing with the wrong Father...He, like my brother, is not one to be deterred...and for that, I'm thankful!

Oh praise The One who paid my debt! And raised this life up from the dead...