Adoption & Marriage

I was reading my most recent adoption magazine I received in the mail and as always I flip right to the back to look at the sweet faces of teens/children needing a family.  The first one I read was about a teen girl who was described as outgoing, fun, and likes to joke around.  It ended with the fact that her adoptive parents were relinquishing their parental rights and she was being put back up for adoption.  My heart broke.  I looked at this beautiful girl and could not imagine the hurt she has been through in her short life on this Earth.  Not only was she abandoned by her birth parents, but now by her adoptive parents. 

This made me think about our future adoption.  When we adopt a child, that will be our forever child.  We would never throw in the towel and send away our two biological daughters, so why would it be any different with an adopted child?  Don't get me wrong, I am sure some situations are very hard and these families tried their best, but for our family we are committing no matter how hard it gets, that is our child and we will never give up.  I am so thankful for a Savior who has adopted me and will not 'relinquish' my adoption, no matter how much I fail Him.  Adoption is such a beautiful picture of the gospel.  God adopted me into His family when I was 21.  There was nothing I did to earn it.  He sought me.  I was as selfish as can be and just wanted to live a fun, American dream life with a little bit of church on Sundays.  That was until I heard a gospel message and my life flipped upside down and my thoughts, dreams, and desires completely changed.  I had been adopted into a forever family.

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" Romans 8:15

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand." John 10:38

Marriage is also a beautiful picture of the gospel.  My heart breaks every time I hear of another marriage ending in divorce.  Marriage is a representation of Christ and His relationship with the Church, His bride.  Christ would never 'divorce' the Church.  Christ would never abandon me, so why would I think it was ever right to abandon my husband.  A life-long marriage is a glorious display of the gospel to our children.  We have forgotten what 'love' is.  It is not a feeling that comes and goes.  Love is patient (even when are spouse does super annoying things) and kind (even when our spouse is not being kind to us or in a bad mood); love does not envy (will not compare other people to my spouse and wish I had 'better') or boast (will not dwell on all the things I think I do right, but instead compliment my spouse on what he does well); it is not arrogant (will not compare myself to my spouse and think I am better than him)   or rude (will not be short and snotty to my spouse). It does not insist on its own way (the needs of my spouse take priority to my own); it is not irritable (will not be anxiously waiting for my spouse to 'set me off') or resentful  (I will not hold a grudge against my spouse but forgive him) it does not rejoice at wrongdoing (will not take pleasure when my spouse screws up, even if he was warned by myself about something), but rejoices with the truth (sometimes my spouse may tell me something about myself I will not want to hear, but if it is true and something I need to work on I will listen and not get defensive.). Love bears all things (when my spouse is burdened, I am burdened), believes all things (trust in the truth of God's word and encourage my spouse in his faith), hopes all things (rely on God to get us through whatever comes our way), endures all things (will be at my spouses side until the day that one of us dies) 1 Cor 13:4-7

Marriage and adoption are both created by God and meant to be life-long commitments.  Before you get married or decide to adopt; pray, seek God, pray some more, and then commit to endure all things.
.