Daddy
So, last week I shared with you a bit about my family. This week marks a most important anniversary for us. On May 6, 1987 I received a phone call from the Department of Family and Children’s Services telling me that they had a little blond-haired boy who needed a home. He was two and half years old. Were we interested?
The call came around 11 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. Keep in mind that the previous Friday we had completed all of the requirements necessary to be Foster Care/Adoptive parents in Georgia. But we were told that it would be a minimum of six months, and more likely a year, before we would have a child placed with us.
I picked Tina up from her job, we drove to the office, and in less than three hours we were on our way home. We stopped at “Toys R Us” and bought a Big Wheel, some Hot Wheels cars, and a plastic ball and bat. Later than afternoon my mom arrived with $50 worth of clothing. And just like that, we were a family.
Most of you had nine months to prepare for your first child. And that probably felt rushed. We became a family in a whirlwind.
The Bible uses many methods to describe becoming a Christian. There is conversion, being born again, and then there is adoption. In Romans 8:15 we read, “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” You may have been told that the word Abba is very intimate, much like “Daddy” in our language.
I mentioned this last week, but on the ride home from the DFCS office my son asked, “Can I call you Daddy?” And then, before I could answer he said, “I think I’ll call you Daddy.” I turned on my windshield wipers before I realized that the water was not outside the car. I had to pull off the road for a moment.
The love I felt for my son in that moment was real and powerful. And yet, it was only a fraction of the love that God feels for you and for me. If you are a child of God, it is because He has adopted you. He did not have to do this. He chose to do so. I pray that we will come to realize the power and the might of God’s love, and that we will live in a way that expresses our gratitude to Him. To Him be the glory forever!
