The Blessings of Adoption
Scripture Reading — Matthew 18:1-6, 10-14
“Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”
Matthew 18:5
Three years ago last month my wife and I had the privilege of traveling to Korea with our daughter and her husband to bring their adopted daughter, Lucy, home. It was one of the most blessed experiences we’ve ever had. Words can’t express what we felt when they took their six-month-old daughter into their arms for the first time. This is how our daughter describes her feelings: “Adoption gives back to you what infertility treatments take away: hope! It fills that awful hole that was in our hearts. It was one of the most joyful, exciting times when we took her home.”
Adoption raises a lot of questions. Is it the right thing for us? Will adopted children love us when they grow older? Will they resent the fact that we adopted them? Will they feel second rate because they were adopted? Will they fit in at school, and will other children accept them? Or will they feel out of place, especially if they are from a different country?
Adoption is not for every couple. Some couples prefer to remain childless or to raise foster children. But for many childless couples, adoption has been a tremendous blessing. That’s what it has been in our family. Many couples with biological children have also opened their homes and hearts to adopt a child. In this way, says Jesus, they also have welcomed him.
Lord, we thank you for the gift of adopted children. Thank you for so many families who have opened their hearts to receive a child this way in Jesus’ name. Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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