It wasn’t my wedding day, though that day was also the beginning of a love union that would change my life forever.
It wasn’t the birth of my first child, though that would also mark the start of a great adventure in giving myself to another.
On January 24, 1988, God somehow called a 4-year-old girl by name and adopted her into His family, taking her from enemy of the Almighty to beloved of the King. Even though I still needed a lifetime of polishing, my parents say I was a different child after that day.
I used to be jealous of people with powerful testimonies – people who sold drugs and kicked cats before they met Jesus and He radically changed their lives. I felt inadequate with no stories to tell of how I used to steal crayons but then I met Jesus and now I don’t. I worried because I couldn’t remember how I felt when God forgave my sins, or even what I understood.
Then, one day in my early teens, I ran across John 3:18: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” There it was, in black and white (technically, red and white). I didn’t have to have a deep understanding of theology. I didn’t have to remember any certain detail or say a formula of words. I believed -- not just then, but also now -- and that was enough.
God has a unique plan for everyone. He draws us to Himself in His own time. Now, as I look back, I am deeply thankful that God drew me when He did. Though I made mistakes and rebelled plenty, I know His presence in my life spared me from so much pain. I grew up knowing Him, and I am thankful that I can't remember when He wasn't there.
I remember Him in elementary school as I realized that wrong bothered me when it didn’t bother other kids in my class. I remember His presence thick around me in my bedroom as my dad taught me how to study my Bible and spend time alone with God.
I remember Him in middle school, my Comforter and Confidante during those tough growing-up years. I remember Him in junior high as He called me to commit my purity to Him and learned to stumble along the path He set out for me.
I remember Him in high school as He grew me and prepared me for what lie ahead.
I remember Him in college, that nagging voice I knew so well calling to me as I tried to walk away. He was there every time I came crawling back, grounding my faith and reminding me that Life was only in Him.
He made my dreams come true as he arranged my marriage.
He was there through cancer and chemotherapy. He answered me in the middle of the night in the living room floor as I cried in desperation.
He knit my first child together. He was there when she was born, and He patiently upheld me during those first difficult weeks. He was there to direct my steps when I didn’t know what life meant for me anymore.
We’ve seen His assuring presence triumph when things seem dark. He makes us bubble over with laughter and spreads our joy to others. He still answers our prayers and works out our rough spots. Glimpses of His glory typify the sweetest of life’s moments.
A relationship with God is an epic love story, an adventure full of twists and dynamic characters. No matter when your story with God officially began (even if it hasn’t), I bet you can look back, too, and see His hand orchestrating your life. Drawing you with strings of love, even before you loved Him back.
Happy Adoption Day, God. I’m so thankful to be yours. I’ll love you more in the next chapter than in the last.
No comments:
Post a Comment