Confessions of a Gotcha Dayer...

So this past Sunday I found myself in a Canadian church. Towards the end of the sermon, the speaker began to discuss his daughter's "Gotcha Day." As I was sitting there in puzzlement, he explained that his blonde haired, blue eyed daughter Rachel was adopted. Freaky, I know. After all, I'm adopted too! Anyway, "Gotcha Day" is the day they celebrate that Rachel became a part of their family. It's entirely separated from her birthday. Another day to eat cake? These people are geniuses!

Well, I became somewhat saddened. I mean, I'm adopted, but its been since birth. I don't have a "Gotcha Day." I just get cake one day a year like everybody else. But then I realized something. I do!

You see fellow christian, we all have gotcha days when we become a part of the family of Christ. And this is an extremely amazing thing! I know to an extent, how my life would have turned out had my birth mother decided to raise me. And I can almost one hundred percent guarantee, I'm way better off. Who knows where I would have been spiritually! But I was adopted, and it changed my identity forever. I became a Goering.

I know without a doubt how much my parents love me and wanted me. I mean there were absolutely no questions. But I once had a boy ask me what it felt like to be adopted. I said, "Well, it feels pretty good," not knowing how else to respond. He questioned, "It feels good to know you were a mistake and nobody wanted you so they gave you up?" Well golly gee, way to boost my self-esteem you punky little third grader! But then I realized, I felt sorry for this kid. Because this is a false view of adoption. In reality, its a great thing! I know my birth mother gave me up out of love. It was probably one of the hardest things she's done. But she wanted me to have a father figure. She wanted me to grow up in a home where I could be provided for. So how does it feel? I've never felt more loved, or more grateful.

Sometimes, we as Christians have a little puny third grader. His name is Satan. He fills our heads with lies. But if we realize our identity is in Christ, nothing he says can phase us.

And you know, our adoption into the family of God is a pretty special thing. Because it is the upmost demonstration of unconditional love, and who God is. He chose us. He wanted us. Sin and all. We are His, designed in intelligence and created with a purpose. See, there's nothing in us that warrants being adopted into God's family. We're all here because of His amazing grace. When the Father chose a people for Himself, when He decided to adopt them as His own children, He was motivated by love, and not by any means what we had done.. And our only response to this is the upmost devotion and gratefulness. Ephesians 6: 3-6, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will."

So, my fellow adoptees, you are pretty special. God chose you before the foundation of the world. And when you gave your heart to Him you became a part of His family and what a special family it is. He gotcha! You're His. So break out the cake! Isaiah 43:1 "But now, this is what the LORD says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."