Heaps of Ashes

“He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.” (Ephesians 1:5-6 CSB)

Often, when people hear our story of infertility, failed procedures, heartache,

and eventual adoption of a sibling group from the Foster Care System, their response is: “Wow! Instant family.” *

I’ll let you in on a little secret. My husband and I can be found quoting Mandy Patinkin in a full on Inigo Montoya voice: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” (Yes, this is indeed a blatant reference to The Princess Bride.)

Instant family is a far cry from the path we had to follow to reach parenthood. Even now we recognize that we will likely always live in the shadow of their family of origin. Our son remembers being forcefully yanked from his mother’s arms and still believes it is his fault. One daughter has seen things from which many adults would quickly turn away. Our youngest has skewed understanding of “mom” because she had four different moms in the first four years of life.

We live in a sometimes hellish world tainted by sin. BUT GOD saw these little ones who desperately needed us. He saw that we desperately wanted them. So, he brought us together in an absolute mess of emotions and brokenness; a heap of ashes. He made us a family.

There are moments when I step back from daily life and take a good look at where we were, where we are, and where we want to be. In those precious moments I am reminded that we are adopted into God’s family through Jesus Christ. We desperately needed a savior and He desperately wanted to save us.

Life, outside of heaven, leaves us messed up and broken. BUT GOD, through Jesus Christ, is in the business of taking what seems irreparable, and making it beautiful.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify him.” (Isaiah 61:1-3 CSB)

Can’t see any beauty today? I invite you to ask our Adoptive Father to help you see things from his perspective.

*That was long before the movie with the same name.