Adoption Day!!

A year ago, I didn't think this would happen.  If you are new to this blog, you can read that story HERE.
But God intervened, like He does sometimes, and last Wednesday, we finalized our adoption of Luke's two sisters.

Introducing:

Cynthia Issabelle Raley, age 16

 

And Selah Joy Raley, age 6

I have to say it was one of the most wonderful days of my life.  I guess you could say I have had 11 of those (we doubled up and got two at once this time), but it was so FUN!!

We went to the courthouse, where we waited for a good hour before it all happened, but even that was fun as we talked with two case workers who were almost as excited as we were.  I have to give a big THANKS to these two people, Mark and Marissa, the girls caseworkers at Arrow Ministries:

 We were finally called up in front of the judge, who was a really nice man.  He made a great thing just that much better.  He joked when it was okay to joke, was serious when he needed to be, and made me cry with his sweet comments (yes, judge,  I'm the MOM!  Is there a more beautiful word in the English language?):

From there we were off to the Water Park for pictures:

 Then we ate at Razoos, and later in the day, we went to my mother's house to eat the beautiful cake she bought the girls:

Sigh...it was glorious.

Little Selah can hardly believe this has happened.  She is only six, and she has wanted a "real" family so badly.  As I put her to bed Wednesday night, she asked me, "Tomorrow, you won't forget I'm adopted, will you?"
No honey, no way!!
And since then, she has asked me several times, "I'm just one of your regular kids now, right?"

Who knew what security there is in being "regular"!

This morning, while we were in church, Selah leaned over to me and whispered, big grin on her little 6 year old face, "I'm adopted now!!"  I smiled back at her and nodded reassuringly, and then I pondered adoption.

God has only one biological Son: Jesus.  He loves Jesus the way we all love our biological children - yet  let his biological child die a horrible death so He could save us all by adoption.  (Galatians 4:5) Yet how many of us reject that adoption?

And more importantly, when we are saved, and we are adopted by God, are we as joyful as little Selah is?  Do we glow in the security it gives us?

I remember the first time I read the scriptures about our adoption by God after we adopted Luke.  I knew what adoption was in a way I had never realized before.   I knew that adopting a child means they are OURS, just like giving birth makes them ours.  And it's the same way with God the Father, we are his sons and daughters.  One of his "regular kids".  He loves us like we were his biological children.  That is just HUGE!!

So rejoice with us, and if you have been adopted by God, breath a prayer of thanks and let yourself feel the love from Him.  Don't "forget you are adopted" and live your life in a manner worthy of being the Lord's "regular kid!"