Oldie but Goodie

repost from the archives. . .

Adoption Lessons: Grace Isn't Just for Me!

. . . although, most days, I certainly act like it is.

While I would like to think that I'm truly thankful and grateful for God's Grace,

the truth is that

most days I'm more like the wicked servant

from the story in Matthew 18:23-33.

You know, the servant who deserved to be thrown into prison for a debt he could never repay but then begged forgiveness from the King? The King forgave him but then the servant went right out and demanded to be repaid a very small debt that he was owed by someone else - unwilling to cancel the debt, as had been done for him.

I often think of this story in terms of forgiveness -

as in, am I willing to forgive someone

for a specific offense they have committed against me -

and the answer is usually (and eventually) "yes."

(oh, don't I feel nice and righteous now?)

But,

what if the real story here is the story of GRACE

the free and unmerited love of God offered to me-

a sinner: selfish, prideful, a liar, easily angered, fearful, untrusting, rude,

did I say selfish?

Well, now we have something quite different because, you see,

I am more than happy to accept the Grace God offers me

but somehow I find myself

constantly wanting to CHOOSE

whom I deem worthy

of receiving that free and unmerited love from me!

Oh, I am wretched.

And here's where we come to the "Adoption Lesson."

It happens all the time.

It happened with us when we first started seeking out information about children to adopt.

We wanted what they all want - AYAAHAP.

It is so common, they even made up that acronym!

As Young And As Healthy As Possible.

It's understandable.

We didn't want to mess up our lives too much.

We didn't want to mess up our son's life too much.

We wanted to adopt a child,

we wanted to love a child,

we wanted to give God's love to a child;

we just wanted to make sure it was

an easy child for us to love - AYAAHAP!

But, see, that's the problem.

That kind of love isn't really God's love.

If you think that sounds harsh, I'm with you. . .

but it's still the truth.

Think about it.

Aren't you glad that God doesn't choose to adopt us into His family

based on ANAASAP -

As Nice And As Sinless As Possible?

His Grace is available to ME!

He didn't choose me based on

how easy I was going to be to love,

how thankful and loyal I would be to Him,

how quickly I would return His love,

how many times I would sing His praises,

how easily I would obey Him,

how little trauma I had in my background,

how little I would argue with Him,

or how many times I would go my own way.

Should, then, I ought not to be willing to extend

this unmerited love

freely

to orphans who might be really hard to love?

But, oh how the flesh fights to take the easy road.

I can't tell you how difficult it was

both times we adopted

to CHOOSE what (then) seemed like the VERY hard road.

We himmed

and hawed

and prayed

and talked

and tried to think

of any and every excuse "why not?"

We had more than a few others (even those claiming to be believers)

tell us why we should NOT choose:

older children

black children

many children

foster children

that many children (LOL!)

and,

quite honestly,

we wrestled with God

and

even cried as we made the choice

to die to ourselves and take up the cross He had called us to.

It was hard.

We had to choose to listen to the only voice that mattered.

Not ours.

Not other peoples'.

Just His.

The One who sacrificed so much so that we might live in His family,

was now asking us to sacrifice so that they might live in our family.

He was asking us to have Grace for the Orphan.

After all, His Grace isn't just for me.

Will you choose Grace?