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}

World's Cutest Pazdziora Turns One!

It's true. Yesterday was Fern Rose's birthday and as her doting aunt, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show off the cutest Pazdziora in the world. Just look at those chubby cheeks, those searching eyes, and I defy you to tell me there is another!

Remember, Fern's the one on the left.  Yeah, now I defy you!

Like every other intelligent baby, Fern likes to hear the Belly Button Book.  "Be bo!"

She also enjoys the company of others, especially their fingers.

I almost can't stand how cute she and Eric are together.  

Makes me wanna... ::clears throat:: Moving on...

Like her namesake, she's a young girl who -- I can already tell -- will thoughtfully and passionately defend the weak and fight for good.  Can't you see that in her eyes?

  

But like I said, she's one now.  The big one point zero.  So I suppose she's grown up a bit since we last saw the wee thing, due to a ginormous pond between us.  Her lovely parents keep us in the loop, though.  

Lately she's been laughing at plates...

and swallowed by drinks...

Oh my word.  I must see this young thing soon!  We miss her whole family so much...

Happy Birthday, Fern!  We miss you and your Mommy and Daddy so! 

Introducing...

So, I'm pretty lucky, apparently.  For my sister is also my friend.  After years of putting her head in the toilet (the story she tells everyone when she talks about her family, though I'll have everyone know it only happened once, and my brother and I didn't actually let her hair touch the water, so, so what?!?), I have a kindred spirit in my little sister.  Shelby Lynn Harrell -- six years my junior -- is  ...

breathtakingly beautiful

fun to hang out with (even when we don't know where we're going)

 crazy excitable

smart (honor student, what what!)

kind to the elderly her elders

remarkably talented at acting and singing

 

 filled with childish childlike wonder

grumpy before coffee

{er... make that butterbeer}

and -- over the last couple years -- she's been developing a lot of interests that have interested me for a while too.  {Isn't it kind of crazy and strange when your younger siblings start to resemble adults?  Weirder still, when they resemble adults at an earlier age than you did?}  Take, for instance, her interest in literature.  She's more of an English Regency Period geek (like myself), but she doesn't say no to good American literature, the likes of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.  In fact, last year she snagged the leading role at Perquimans High School's musical production of this great work.  Funny thing is, she and Jo March really have a lot in common.  About each, one could say:

She's a lover.

She's a fighter.

She's a swinger.

She's a dreamer.

She's a nonconformist.

She's a creator.

Which brings me to my next point...
Shelby's been developing her creativity in the culinary arts, lately, which has produced some tasty results. 
For instance, pound cake.

My sister made this one:

I wouldn't be able to make this cake now, and she's practically a master at it.  Thankfully for me, Shelby has gone and made herself a blog of her very own, in which she has devoted her whole life long (or at least a few hours a week of it) to teaching me how to make the aforementioned cake.  OK, the blog will probably serve other purposes to other people.  To each his own.  And I suppose you want in on the action, don't you...  Well, all right, fine, I'll share her!  

 May I introduce to you, the blogging world, my lovely sister, Shelby!  Her brand new blog is ready and just waiting for eager readers to bask in troves of culinary treasures, as well as get to know her dear heart and fun-loving soul.  Just please promise to come back to me eventually!