Adopted by Another

April 23, 2022Blog, Personal Growth, Sunday Sermonsacceptance, adoption, lovedebio7 Leave a comment

She was the 20 year old daughter of the town’s mayor, who had fallen in love with and married a man whom she would soon discover had a dark side. He was charismatic and oozed charm on his exterior, but underneath there was a vicious temper that was flagrantly violent. His threats were frequent and she knew danger was imminent.

Finding out she was pregnant, in her fear, she asked for and received help from the child’s grandparents. Although she and her newborn were given a room in their home, one day her husband stormed in with a buthcer knife and threatened to kill her, the baby and the nurse. The police came and settled the issue and shortly therefter a divorce was granted. Although the court ordered the biological father to pay child support and alimony, he adamantly refused, paid nothing and choose not to be a part of his son’s life.

Time passed and the mother met and married a paint salesman, who loved her and her 2 year old son. This love, prompted Gerald R. Ford to adopt Leslie as his own son, renaming him Gerald R. Ford Jr.. The family grew in love and in numbers and this is how the adopted, adult Gerald later described his family – (1)

“My stepfather was a magnificient person and my mother equally wonderful. So I couldn’t have written a better prescription for a superb family upbringing.”
Adoptions with Love – President Gerald Ford

Leslie Lynch Jr. was adopted by another, received his new name Gerald R. Ford Jr., and years later became the 38th President of the United States.

“Adoption is the most intentional process on Earth.”
Jody Cantrell Dyer

According to the dictionary, adoption is the act of taking as one’s own, a choosing by way of preference or approval: formal acceptance. In adoption, a person assumes the parenting of another. Child Welfare Information Gateway describes adoption as, “full permanent & legal members of a family” – that occurs through mutual assessment and the process of “home study”. Child Welfare tells us that there are tens of thousands of children waiting to be adopted.

The thing so precious and powerful about adoption is CHOICE. The adoptee is chosen, fully and formally accepted, even preferred, and completely approved of! An adopted child/person is 100% chosen, hand picked, every bit intentional. What a secure feeling! What a relief. What love! President Ford experienced this love, acceptance and approval. He had been adopted by another.

Want to know and see something else powerful?

“For it was always his perfect plan to adopt us as his delightful children, through our union with Jesus… so that his trememndous love that cascades over us would glorify his grace – for the same love he has for his Beloved One, Jesus, he has for us. And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasure!”
Ephesians 1:5-6 TPT

God’s plan has always been to choose you. Select you. Pick you. Want you. He aproves of you, accepts you and prefers you. He has chosen to adopt YOU. That means He wants to assume His parental rights and place you in His family with all of the privileges, rights and inheritance you are due. You belong in His family, bear His name, have family relationships through Him. You also have family responsibilities.

Jesus told His disciples in John 14, that in His Father’s house there were many rooms and He was going to prepare a place for them. One of those rooms is for you. It has your name on it. The family room of heaven, and the dinning room of heaven are yours as well. Jesus is getting it all ready for the family reunion that will one day come, when all of the kids and relatives will be home, and at last, be reunited.

You see, when you have been adopted by another, namely God through Jesus Christ –

You are a full member of God’s family
You have full rights and privileges in heaven
You have immediate access to God
You belong to His family
You bear His name
You have full share in the inheritance he has promised (2)
The devil no longer has parental rights over you, because you are not part of His family anymore

You no longer have to fear being harmed or not being good enough because you have received the spirit of adoption, that enfolds you into the family of God. Romans 8:15

He loves you so much, He is not satisfied with partial custody. He wants full custody of His children, so that He can lavish His tremendous cascade of love upon them. His kids make Him happy, He takes pleasure in loving His children and we can call Him, “Papa”, “Abba”, “Daddy”.

Now we’re talking security! Acceptance. Approval. That’s a family to be part of. He loves us like He loves Jesus. We are all part of His family because of our union with Jesus.

There is no greater prescription for a superb family upbringing. There is no greater family. God has chosen you and wants to be intricately involved in your whole life. He has lovingly adopted you and changed your name to His.

Adoption is the most intentional process on Earth or in heaven and there are thousands of children still waiting to be adopted into God’s family. Are you one? Have you received your full, legal adoption into God’s family by the blood of Jesus Christ? Are you exercising your rights and privileges as a son or daughter of God? Are you walking in your full inheritance of healing, provision, and power? Are you fulfilling your responsibilities with faithfulness?

Such confidence, and peace come to those who know that they have been adopted by another.

God bless you, Family,

Debbie

Gerald Ford, Deserted by his Birth Father, WorldHistory.us
KeepBelieving.com

Acknowledgement

June 22, 2020Blog, Inspiration, Personal Growthacceptance, acknowledge, acknowledgementdebio7 Leave a comment

Can you recall a time when you were totally ignored? Have you ever worked for a boss who was sparse, rare or void of positive recognition? When was the last time you walked into a small shop having not received eye contact or a welcome from the worker? Who were you speaking to last when they skipped right over your feelings and emotions and went straight into “fix it” mode?

How did these scenarios make you feel?

Contrast them and the feelings they evoke with that of the Zulu’s, who’s most common greeting is, “SAWUBONA“, which translated means, “We See You“. (My husband and I experienced this first-hand when we had the privilege of spending time in Kenya and Tanzania.)

The greeting “Sawubona” represents the Zulu communities philosophy of seeing each other fully, not with just visual intake but with value and acceptance. Their seeing includes not just the person, but their gods and ancestors. The Zulu realize the need to see each other slowly and as they are. They have prioritized how to feel and listen to others.

After being greeted by “Sawubona”, the response usually is, “Shikoba” which means, “I exist for you”. Wow! What acknowledgement!

This is more than an exchange of greetings or pleasantries, it represnets a deep-seeded value for the community that says, you matter to us, we totally accept you, and trust you. It symbolizes the importance of directing attention to another person and embracing their soul.

Sawubona reminds them to see the other person as they are and pay attention to them.

The Zulu believe fellow humans exist only if others see and accept them.

In our Western society, we have missed this. We greet one another with, “How are you?”, and barely listen for a response. We fail to see each other slowly. Most of the time we fail to acknowledge one another as we should.

This word acknowledge/acknowledgement has been powerful to me of late; both in its possibilities and its cost.

With its absence comes a cost. When we fail to acknowledge people, when we ignore them, don’t listen to them, fail to recognize them, we devalue them. We are saying you don’t matter to me, and they hear I don’t matter at all.

When we acknowledge people, look them in the eye and give them our presence, we are valuing them and assuring them that their life counts, what they have to say is important.

In your family, haven’t you seen this? The simple act of acknowledging a loved ones’ feelings, position, or emotions yields great reward, for understanding begins to flourish because acceptance and recognition has been granted. Both parties have SEEN the other. Both parties have given and received.

When we allow someone to be fully seen, we are giving them a magnificent gift of being who they are, without fear or hiding. Yet, we too are receiving a gift, the existence of another valuable child of God.

The gift of presence, acknowledgment, recognition, Sawubona, is a gift we all have the power to give. It can and will change lives, one person at a time. It can and will validate, and strengthen relationships as well as defuse, and neutralize jealousy, envy and other damaging emotions.

Who doesn’t feel encouraged, accepted, and better understood when someone acknowledges them? It gives energy, purpose and resolve to keep on working, and not give up. It helps us to feel validation although agreement may not have been reached. Acknowledgement empowers.

Those sound like things that we all want. Don’t they?

Give (acknowledgement) and you shall receive.

Cheers to you.