Barbara
Katie's post
How do I
feel about my parents adopting, particularly in light of the 40th
anniversary of Roe vs. Wade?
In the most
simplest of terms: It over joys me! It relentlessly paints a picture before my
eyes day after day that God delights in life of every kind.
Perusing
twitter this morning I continually came across the following question: “How
pro-life are you?” One simple look at my family and this question quickly seems
to be rhetorical – its answer staring one in the face as 13 children glance back
at you from the rows of my ethnically, culturally, and racially diverse
family. Not only did my parents choose
life for their own four children that God opened my mother’s womb for but they
chose life for nine other children, selflessly opening their homes, hearts, and
lives to care for children that our society deems ‘unwanted’ and ‘dispensable’.
In 1
Corinthians 12 Paul tells us “On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem
to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think
less honorable we bestow the greater honor…”
That child with FASD: valuable to God! That
young girl struggling with bipolar: indispensable to God’s economy! The little boy in a wheel chair: he’s
bestowed with honor! Each and every one
of them is valuable, imaging our Creator.
Years ago,
before the likes of me, my parents saw these realities and delighted their
hearts in the reality that God is the giver of life. He alone gives life to
everything. They chose to honor God as Creator and build a family through both
natural birth and adoption. Through this
they declare day after day that life is valuable and that God is good. More importantly, it reminds me of a
life-giving reality – the reality that I too have been adopted into the most
glorious family. That I am a daughter of
all sovereign ruler of the universe and that he is my Father. I have been
adopted into the family of God and there my identity is rooted and my hope is
steadfast.
So thank-you
Mom and Dad. Thank-you
for choosing life. Not only for
me but for all of your children. You
have imaged well for me what it means to value life and what it means to love
the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. I see and know that it
isn’t always easy to choose life but God has been faithful to you through it
all.
And today
seemed like a really good day to say that.
In light of those 50 million children who have not been given life in
the past 40 years, the reality that I (and my 12 siblings) have been given life
– delights me beyond words.
Praise God
for parents who understand the value of life!
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