100 Days of HopeSample

An Adopted Daughter And The Poor

After long paper pregnancies, two of our children and their wives brought home sons—two new precious grandsons to us—through the gift of adoption! We had waited together as a family through each step that led to receiving news of the referrals.

In a store aisle, a call came and the whole audio section knew that we had a new grandson! But as the time got closer, we became concerned about the transition time for these new little lives.

Each knew his spoon and his bowl.

Each knew his crib in the room of cribs.

Each knew the sound of Amharic or Kinyarwanda.

What they didn’t know was that they were no longer orphans!

Soon they would be with their families—in the new role as sons.

We longed for them to know what they had just inherited and for them to be home.

How often I forget that my new identity as an adopted daughter of the living God defines who I am. How often I still live as an orphan, comfortable with my old spoon and bowl and crib, even entrapped by them, not even wanting new ones. How often I forget that I am an heir, a forgiven, accepted, free, righteous heir because my Father, at the greatest cost, adopted me.

When I remember, how can I not care for those the world forgets?

Prayer: Father, thank you that you have chosen us as your sons and daughters. Help us to remember that you have adopted us. In response to your overwhelming generosity, help us to care for the poor and needy.