Adoption!!!

(Above photo from our first day of school)

Today is the day! Evie is now permanently a member of our family! It is hard to believe it is finally true! For two years she has been our foster daughter and we have been working toward and looking forward to this day. The judge has granted our petition for adoption, but the written ruling had the wrong birthdate, so it feels a little anticlimactic right now. We are still waiting for the paperwork to get sorted, but we are celebrating!

I told Evie that she is now officially adopted. That doesn’t really mean anything to her, partly because she is only 2 years old and partly because she has been with our famil since she was 6 months old. As I was thinking about the significance of Evie’s adoption, I thought of some things that I want her to always know. First, I want her to know that she is completely loved by her parents and will always be a member of our family. Nothing will ever change that. Secondly, I want her to know that as our daughter, all we have is hers. She already calls our home “Evie’s House” and our van “Evie’s car.” Thirdly, I want her to know that her brothers and sister love her so much and she will always be one of the Fish kids. It is so beautiful to see the way they care for her and she has started calling Ezra and Zeke “my boys.” If they have gone to play with friends she will say, “Where are my boys?” Finally, I want her to know that she does not need to worry or fear because we will care for all of her needs. It is beautiful to see the way she trusts us. Sometimes it is a little scary, like when she climbs up high and then just dives, trusting me to catch her. 

It occurs to me that God wants me to trust Him in that way and know these same things about being adopted into His family. I want to remember that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) I have been adopted into God’s family and I have brothers and sisters who are committed to loving me. God has also said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."(Hebrews 13:5) There are some beautiful truths in Galatians that have even more meaning to me now. 

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:4-7‬ ‭ESV)

Evie knows that her father loves her and has no fear to ask, “Daddy, can I have an ice cream?” Her father delights in giving her good gifts. How much more can I trust and freely approach my Heavenly Father? I hope and pray that Evie will be secure in her adoption and the love we have for her. I also pray that I will find that security, love, trust, joy and rest in the adoption I have from my Heavenly Father through Jesus.