S.B.T. - More Natural?

NOTE: Spousal Blog Takeover (S.B.T) is the “very” occasional contribution from Robert to this blog.

Rebecca mentioned that after we made our decision to adopt that I said adoption seemed “more natural” to me, so I thought that I would attempt to explain why I believe it...the key words being “attempt to explain.”

Before I get too far into my explanation, I'd like to satisfy the part of me that finds pleasure and enjoyment out of facts, statistics and other potentially useless bits of knowledge, though I don't believe this will fall into the latter of those three categories. I find the definition of adoption particularly meaningful and beautiful: “the giving to any one the name and place and privileges of a son who is not a son by birth” (Easton's Bible Dictionary). The part of this definition that I find particularly beautiful is how it relates to me and my own adoption. Yes...I was adopted...and as much as I'd really like to string you along and make up sad stories about the events leading to the adoption that may be confusing a lot of my close friends and family right about now, I have to come clean and admit that I am talking about my adoption by my Heavenly Father. You see, I find the definition of adoption meaningful and beautiful because it's personal to me...God adopted me. To explain more concisely what I mean, EBD defines spiritual adoption as “an act of God's grace by which he brings men into the number of his redeemed family and makes them partakers of all the blessings He has provided for them.” The relationship that I entered into with God after accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is that of an adopted son with his adoptive dad.

Okay, so if you were me reading this, you'd be thinking right now, “Hmmm...but you still haven't said why you think adoption is natural...you've just said that you think that it's beautiful and meaningful.” And I would say to myself, “You're right...be patient...and you're speaking in sentence fragments.” In all seriousness, I do believe that adoption seems more natural for us, but not natural as it would pertain to rose bushes bringing forth roses or storm clouds bringing rain. I think it is “more natural” like a baby who picks up and imitates the mannerisms of a mom or dad that they may not have realized. For example, Rebecca and I have been friends with Trevor and Jessica for a few years now, and we've had our share of dinners after church and game nights on the weekends through the years. Well, I love to interact with kids (the way their minds work interests me), and one time when their oldest daughter, Kate, was around one, she and I would just stare and make faces across the table. I'd make a face and she'd laugh; she'd make a face that partially imitated mine and I would laugh. There came a point where she started squinting, and I didn't really get what she was doing until someone else chimed in and said she's copying you. Confused for a second, I realized she wasn't imitating the silly faces that I was making, you see, when I laugh or smile, my eyes squint. Kate had picked up one of my natural tendencies. That's how I think that adoption seems natural for Rebecca and I, we picked up on that aspect of God, the same aspect that I find particularly meaningful and beautiful. I'm not sure He intends everyone to pick up on that aspect of Him, but I know that He intended it for us...much as Rebecca has already stated.

So there you have it! That's why I think adoption is “more natural” for us and it's a truly humbling, awesome revelation when you realize that you've begun to imitate God when you weren't even trying, because so often I fail to imitate Him when I try.


"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2)