Adopting the Unadoptable

You know that feeling you get when you just know God is asking you to do something kinda difficult, and you don't know how or when you'll be able to do it, but the peace you need for the process finally rests in your heart after years of uncertainty?  We had that feeling this past Saturday, when we attended a conference called "Together for Adoption."

We didn't mean to go.  I mean, E and I have given a little thought to adoption, and always figured that the time would come someday in which we'd need to give it serious consideration, given both the theological and practical reasons for pursuing it.  But with no plans or finances or second bedroom to make it happen now, we weren't planning to go to this particular event.  Then, three weeks ago, we were asked if Thornfield would be willing to play some background music during the lunch break.  Jenna had already been planning to go, and since one of Thornfield's missions is to support mercy ministries, we agreed to play for free, and with it came complimentary tickets to the whole shindig.  We were officially going.  And what began as a gig ended as a life-altering calling.

Orphans by Thomas Kennington

It's impossible to convey all that transpired in those seven hours, but suffice it to say: God is moving hearts and souls and hands and feet toward helping the helpless and loving the unloved, sometimes unlovable.  He always has been, of course, but only in the last few years have I begun to open my own eyes to the needs of others and allowed myself to understand that God wants to use my heart, my soul, my hands and my feet to bring about His will "on the earth as it is in heaven."  Sure, I've known for ten years now that He was calling me into Ministry Proper.  It's only just now that I'm seeing the vast, organic, dirty, crazy, lovely world that is Ministry Improper, and seeing that I have a much larger role to play in that than in the other.  

Anyway, What about all this Adoption Business?, you may be wondering.  Me too.  The first speaker at the conference was Vermon Pierre, who spoke of "The God Who Adopts" from Ephesians 1.  Here's part of the Scripture he read:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved... In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

To be honest, these verses, though absolutely overflowing with the superfluously wonderful merits of God's grace, always make me a little nervous when they're about to be preached on.  It was while at Moody -- where Calvinism is the presumed doctrine of the educated believer -- that I became suspicious of the word, predestined.  To my utmost relief, Pierre didn't once focus on predestination as a calling of "the elect," but explained the word's use as it shows God's very deliberate and intentional purpose from the very beginning of creation to adopt His people.  Before the foundation of the world, it says, He chose us, to adopt us, to lavish upon us an inheritance not merely of riches but of His very presence as the Holy Spirit within us.  

What really struck me about Pierre's message, what's so remarkable about all of this, is that before God adopted us, we were unadoptable.  We were unwanted, unruly, unworthy to be children of God.  Pierre explained that when people decide to adopt, they're given, basically, a list of things to choose from in a child.  First, they get to decide definite traits, like whether they want a boy or girl, how old a child they'd like, etc.  After that form comes another with checkboxes beside other, less tangible, likely less desirable traits.  Traits such as "Likes to start fires," "Has extreme ADHD," "Has emotional baggage," "Is violent," "Has a history of scraping walls with knives," etc.  This page is often skipped entirely, as these children are often considered "unadoptable."  Now, it may be difficult for us to see ourselves as unadoptable when we compare ourselves to these children.  But if we put ourselves in their shoes, take on their experiences, memories, etc., we may find ourselves closer to their states than we're comfortable with.  And if we believe the gospel is true -- that Jesus died for us -- then we must also believe that we were each personally involved in His death, that we victimized and brutalized and killed God's Son.  

And yet, He still wants us in the family.  

And yet, He planned to use our own violence to provide salvation for us.

What a gospel!  What hope!  What a good, unbelievably good God!

But notice why He did this, this amazing adoption of the unadoptable, according to Ephesians 1: "that we would be holy and blameless before Him."  In other words, that we would be set apart, that we would be conformed to His own image by and through His Son.  That we would become more like our Heavenly Dad, extending gracious love like He does, adopting the unadoptable like He does.  

And that's why my own thoughts concerning adoption have changed from, "This is something we should really think about, Lord willing," to "This is something we should actually do, and He is."  I won't be anyone else's Holy Spirit, of course.  He leads us each according to His own will for each.  But I've become convinced, not only through this amazing Scriptural concept but also through the callings all Christians are given in James 1, in Zechariah 7, in Proverbs 31, in Isaiah 1, and in countless other verses and chapters and books in God's word, that it is every believer's direct calling to care for the helpless, and in many cases the orphan specifically.  What that looks like for each family will be different.  What that looks like for our family -- I'm nervous but excited and timid but eager to say -- will hopefully someday be a house overflowing with love for each other, adopted and non-adopted children alike.  Because, actually, we're all adopted.

A father of the fatherless ... is God in His holy habitation.

{Psalm 68:5}

I'm Late

No, it's not what you think.  It never is... (and if it ever was, I should hope I am capable of thinking up a more poetic way to say so!)  But it did get you to read this post, so its job is done.  :)

Honestly, though, if you've ever attended any regularly scheduled class, service, job, etc. with me, you know it's true.  I'm perpetually late.  It's like the clock doesn't apply to me, and if it does, well, that means it's running 15 minutes (or weeks) late, too.  Of course, this wouldn't bother anyone if I lived in some reasonable place closer to the Mediterranean, but here in the northern part of the western hemisphere, it seems to matter.  It's not my fault, though.  Nurture over nature, I say!  Mom still hasn't sent the package she promised in April, but I don't blame her for that: her Mother's Day card still sits peacefully, collecting dust on our bookshelf, right next to Dad's Father's Day card.  Nobody in my family likes being late.  It's just what we do.  It's one of those strange genetic facts of life that everyone complains about but no one remediates and everyone perpetuates.  Like Aunt Petunia's jello salad.

Anyway, what now? you might be wondering.  Yes, Carrie, we've been reading this blog long enough to know that you're not exactly jive with The Now and have a very difficult time finishing what you started, even if you started it within a reasonable time period after you were inspired to begin it!

Well.  Thanks for the vote of confidence.  I'll ignore that comment and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to finish this very post.  

So.  

(Two days later...)  

As I was saying...

I'm late.

There are many things in life to which I have been late, but this is one of the more lamentable, as I'm enjoying myself with it more than I have with any other.  It's called Harry Potter.  Maybe you've heard of it?  I bought Eric the first book for Christmas, as I knew he liked the series, but sometime last month, between novels myself and at loss for something new to read, I decided to give it a whirl.  Eh, the last movie's comin' out this Summer, so I may as well give the first book a shot.  Oh boy, if ever I signed up for something that turned out to be way more than I bargained for, about which I was happy, this is it.  Now I somehow find myself on the verge of delving into the fifth book, having hit up the local used book store about once a week since May, trying with all my might to get through the seventh before going to see the movie in two weeks.  Eric has picked up the series again too (he can never settle for having less fun than I), for the third time I think.

I suppose I should explain why I never picked up the decade-old pop phenomenon before now.  I guess it was the whole "witches and wizards are of the devil" Southern mentality that kept the books out of my hands.  No, poor Bobby Boucher's upbringing isn't rare down there.*  Not that my mother is at all likened unto his, but many of the Bible Belt Mothers were, and I'm pretty sure our church at the time shunned the series altogether.  As I wasn't one to rock the boat, I instead just went with the flow and avoided it.  Now that I'm past "the point of no return" that is book four, I do realize that this is no longer a cute, albeit incredibly well-written, children's series, but a serious fight of Good and Evil.  Actually, it's almost totally not unlike the story of Scripture.  And there are certainly very dark elements, but the story never enshrines the dark.  It totally upholds the defeat of the dark and depends upon the sacrifice of self for one's friends and even grace towards one's enemies (besides He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, of course, who -- in calling himself "the Dark Lord" -- is nearer the image of Satan than any other fictional character I've encountered).

My point is: I was forbidden from reading Harry Potter because it was so anti-Christian, but the truth is: Harry Potter is more "Christian" than a lot of "Christian fiction" out there.  I could just say it's been a fun read, and it has.  But really, it strikes a chord with me because it is so near The Truth.  The Truth about a beautiful, magical world created for pleasure and glory, but tainted with fear and pride by evil and selfishness.  The Truth about a horrible, powerful "lord" scraping and slithering and slaughtering for even more power and glory.  The Truth about One who is more powerful than he, who uses his own power for good, risking and eventually laying down his life for the safety of not only his friends but of all mankind.  Of course, I haven't read the last three books yet (please don't tell me how it ends!!!) so I'm still somewhat in the analogical dark, but I think you get my point.

So, what's next?, I wonder.  Will I manage to surmount the seemingly unsurmountable by getting through the next 2100-odd pages before July 15?  Eh, probably not, but I don't care to stand in line for the first showing of the last movie anyway.  

And you?  Any good, un-Christian Christian novels out there we should know about?  What do you think (or what have you been told) about Harry Potter?  Whatever you say, don't give away the ending or I may have to put a spell on you!

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*If you don't understand this reference, then you probably weren't raised in the South, but perhaps in a similarly restrictive culture.  I promise, this restriction was well-founded.

Christianity and the Arts and... Homemaking???

Nearly four years ago, for my first Christmas as a Pazdziora, my gentle and sweet new mother-in-law gave me this book ------->

Honestly, I was intimidated.  If I’d known much about the Schaeffers at that point, I’d have been even more so.  But what caught my heart in my throat – which you may foresee if you’ve ever been a trembling new daughter-in-law – was this word: Homemaking.  Of course, I’ve long since realized that my husband’s dear mum wasn’t trying to give me any clues about the disorderliness of my home.  (Please take a moment to quell any mental images of the meddling Marie Barone and, once successful, proceed.)  In fact, she’s always been graciously complimentary regarding my interior décor and use of space (which I’ve not yet had much of to use).  Thankfully, though, she’s never seen the cleanliness level in its normal state!

Anyway, once I finally stopped hyperventilating over this title a few years months later, I lifted the cover and was introduced to a beautiful, brand new world of home life at its fullest and – to my surprise – a delightful book joyfully in keeping with its title.  Rather than pointers on keeping the dust-bunnies out from under your bed (those little rascals!) or the kitchen floor woefully shiny, it is full of gloriously practical and practically glorious ideas you can use to bring art – all forms of it! – into your home, whether you are a full-time or only part-time homemaker.  Everything from painting to music-making to gardening to dramatizing to sculpting to designing to nature-walking to sewing to writing to dancing to cooking to … well, you get the point.  I haven’t yet implemented many of these ideas, but I’ve recently come to value them even more as I dream of the peaceful but lively home I hope to make of my own dwelling, especially when I have young’uns running around in need of energy outlets. 

But even without a house overflowing with children, I’ve loved this book so much simply for Edith Schaeffer’s perspective on Christianity and the arts.  She insists that Christians should not only appreciate the arts (which, sadly, some communities of believers reject) but should be active artists ourselves.  She writes:

“A Christian, above all people, should live artistically, aesthetically, and creatively.  We are supposed to be representing the Creator who is there, and whom we acknowledge to be there.  It is true that all men are created in the image of God, but Christians are supposed to be conscious of that fact, and being conscious of it should recognize the importance of living artistically, aesthetically, and creatively, as creative creatures of the Creator.  If we have been created in the image of an Artist, then we should look for expressions of artistry, and be sensitive to beauty, responsive to what has been created for our appreciation.”1

I love these words.  Having been made in God’s creative image, we are inherently creative.  This doesn’t of course mean that I am destined to, with a little practice, become the next Michelangelo or that I should praise myself as being a better tap-dancer than I actually am.  What it does mean is that I should recognize the creativity I have been endowed with and tap into art that I may have distanced myself from out of fear.  I think it also means that every Christian dwelling, whether a single-family home, a newlywed apartment or a bachelor pad, should be a place where art is appreciated, discussed and fostered. 

So, next time you’re looking for something to read that will encourage the artist within and will help you reflect on the role of art in your home and faith, pick up this book!

As a former student majoring in “Religion and the Arts” at Belmont University (where I began my collegiate endeavors), this topic holds a lot of interest for me, so I hope to explore and discuss it further in the future… maybe even in regular installments (like that tour of Ireland I started… yeah, I kept that up pretty well, didn't I…).  First, though, I’d love to hear feedback about what part the arts have played in your faith – whether Christian or not – and if / how has it shown up in your home life.

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Schaeffer, Edith.  The Hidden Art of Homemaking: Page 32.