“…think of what you were when you were called…”
I have learned things through adoption that I thought I had known most of my life. I had given assent to many spiritual truths, but God has brought it all home to me in a whole new way. Now I know that I didn’t really understand it before. I just didn’t know. God is amazing.
God has given me a new perspective on my position in his family. He has given me security in him. He has given me a new perspective on my relationships with others. I gained a new family when I became God’s child.
I have a friend who’s an artist who did a beautiful calligraphy piece for our family. It says, “The Wood Family: James, Susan, Paul, Clayton and Andrew” followed by scripture concerning the house built on the rock weathering the storms. It was laid out so perfectly and artistically that it can’t be changed. So, he’s done a new one for us that says, “The Wood Family: James, Susan, Paul, Clayton, Andrew, Stephen, Elizabeth and Peter followed by the scripture: “For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”
God says to us, “If you want to know how to pray, the first two words are, ‘Our Father.’” Communication with the Father involves relationship with the rest of the family. We can’t say, “I want to be God’s child, but I don’t want to have anything do with my siblings.” It’s not an option. The Father doesn’t allow it. He tells us to call him, “Our Father.”
My biological children had no say about whether or not we would adopt more children. We made it very clear that we wanted to be sensitive to their feelings; therefore, we let them know what was in the works. But we didn’t put the adoptions up for a family vote. It wasn’t up to them whether or not we were going to adopt these other children. What they needed to do was to begin making peace with the fact that we were going to do what God told us to do. They needed to let the Lord deal with their hearts about how they would receive these children.
It was interesting that the one who most readily embraced the idea of adopting three more children was our oldest son who had had more than twenty-five surgeries and been through plenty of suffering himself. Therefore, he is easily the most compassionate member of the family.
The most outspoken opponent was the middle son, the one who was in the process of becoming an attorney. He told me he knew it wasn’t up to him; he knew it was our decision, but he really found it hard to believe that we had considered all the ramifications. He tried to clarify for us what a profound impact this was going to have: “It’s not going to affect me. I don’t live at home anymore. But, have you considered what this is going to do to your schedule? You have just gotten to the point in your ministry where things could really take off as you travel internationally, and now you’re going to tie yourselves down with three little kids who don’t have our genes or our upbringing. You’re going to have to teach them a new language. They’re going to be way behind in school. They’re going to need more effort and more attention at that age than we did, because we had the benefit of growing up in your home. Have you really thought this through? You’re going to set your ministry back at least ten years.”
He was right, but I said, “You know, Clayton, I work for God. This is not a career move. I’m not trying to make a name for myself. I’ve been given a name. I belong to God. What matters is doing what he says.”
God has had to drive that point home to me on a number of occasions, but I’m starting to get it. The only thing that matters is not how it appears; it’s doing what he says to do.
Jesus did a whole lot of things that didn’t make sense to the people around him. Jesus still does a whole lot of things that don’t make sense to us, but he knows what he’s doing. When the Lord asks us to do something, we simply need to do what he tells us to do.
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