Guest Post: He Calls Us His {An Adoptive Mom's Story}

I'm excited to have my friend, Amanda Bacon, as a guest on my blog. We met through author, Emily P. Freeman, prior to She Speaks last summer.

Amanda lives in the beautiful state of Alaska where she's a mom to eight, and wife to Jeremy. She has a smile that lights up a room, and a heart that's as big as the state she calls home. She puts her faith and trust in the one true God, even when He says do the extraordinary.

I'm closing out my series on adoption by hosting Amanda and her heartwarming story. I think you'll be blessed as much as I have been by her and her family. Please join me in welcoming her.

Several years ago, I believed I had a thorough understanding of God’s love. At the time, I was madly in love with the two little boys and two little girls we were entrusted to raise. Though I was crazy busy with those young kiddos who were maxing out the minivan and my capacity to keep up with the laundry, I was contented and happy. Loving them in that distinct way mothers love their children helped me understand God’s love for His children.

He sacrificed His Son for us. I sacrificed my time and energy as a mom.

He continually gives us wisdom through His Spirit, the Bible, and His people. And there I was in my yoga pants passing along godly wisdom to my children day after long day while wiping noses and watching countless episodes of Little Bear and Bob the Builder. See? God and I were basically the same. Ahem. I really should have spent more time during those days watching the sky for falling anvils.

I knew God loved us so very much that He sent His Son Jesus to earth to be the necessary sacrifice on our behalf. And I thought I understood the part about Him doing absolutely anything to be with us – anything to bring us into a relationship with Himself.  But honestly, I didn’t really get what the big deal was. After all, He chose to do it this way didn’t He?

Back then, I didn’t have a firm grasp of the gospel. The part about Christ’s death on the cross, taking the enormous weight of the world’s sin onto Himself. That’s huger than huge. It all started to sink in when I became an adoptive mom in 2010 and started to grasp how far He would go to pluck us out of our grim situation and lovingly tuck us under His protective wing.

When we were introduced to the gorgeous 7 week-old baby girl who was to be the first child welcomed into our family through adoption, the love I felt for her was fierce. So fierce that I would have done absolutely anything for her to be mine. After navigating some rough roads, we were able to take Gabrielle home a couple weeks after meeting her face-to-face, but then endured several months of teetering emotions and frustrations as we attempted to complete the paperwork needed to legally adopt her.

There were many unknowns that winter as we waited. Many nights my mind started to wander as I envisioned members of her birth family appearing at her window in the night coming to steal her away and all sorts of other crazy imaginings those ten months we waited for her adoption to finalize. I couldn’t bear the thought of her not being mine. Her story of adoption, and every other I’ve heard, is grace laid out for all to see. We saw how God orchestrated events in this little one’s life to bring her here to us, and we’re continually floored and thankful. We’ve had a front row seat to God’s great love and mercy two more times as we’ve welcomed two little boys home since Gabrielle’s adoption.

Through all of this, Christ’s immense love for us on the cross became so real. He didn’t have to attack sin head-on for me or for you, but He did. He couldn’t imagine us not being His, so He endured the unthinkable even in our messy state.

I finally understood. His indescribable love plucked us out of our grim future and took us under His protective wing. And just like that, He called us His.

What gripping words to ponder as we approach the holiest days in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ. 

My heartfelt thanks to Amanda for sharing her story with us. You can follow Amanda on her blog at http://www.amandabacon.com. She has exciting things in the works for Moms you don't want to miss.

Happy Easter,
Cindy