Throughout this first little bit of our adventure with Nate, the Lord has used different circumstances and challenges to teach us things about His heart, remove things from us that were not of Him, and in essence, mold us into the parents that Nate needed. (He’s still doing all these things and I suspect will be doing them forever.) Each time we’ve been frustrated, helpless, or confused, God teaches us something that helps us see Nate differently and somehow makes our challenges less overwhelming. I want to share one of these lessons with you that God has put on my heart in the hopes that it might help to encourage or change perspective where needed.
In the year leading up to our meeting and adoption of Nate, the song “Never Gonna Leave Me Dry” by Cory Asbury held a special place in my heart. A part of the chorus stood out to me in particular:
…”you fill us with your love
overwhelm us with your love
take us from the ashes
seat us with princes
it’s what you do, it’s just what you do…”
It comes from Psalms 113:7-8 which says, He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes; with the princes of his people. (NIV) Every time we sang that song, I always thought of Nate and how wonderful it was that God was doing just that; taking him from the ashes of being an orphan in poverty and seating him with Princes like the Richey family. It was a perfect picture in my mind of what God does…
...Only I had it completely backwards.
Fast forward to about a month ago. We've had Nate home for quite a while now and we’re doing pretty well with him, but just like any parenting, we have our ups and downs. One afternoon I was sitting with Nate and this song came on. As I was sitting with him listening to the words, my mind immediately went to its usual perspective of what a great thing had happened for Nate and how blessed he was to be with us now and doing so well, when God gently but firmly said “NO”. As I sat there looking at Nate and hearing the song, as if for the first time, God revealed to me that He viewed things quite differently. He showed me that Jenny and I were the ones who had been in the ashes and that He had raised US from that place to have the privilege of being parents to one of His princes…Nate. Silly, goofy, difficult, inconvenient, stubborn, happy, sweet, innocent Nate. God’s heart is ALWAYS for “the least of these”. For the discarded and reviled ones of this world.
Suddenly, it made sense to me and this perspective has certainly helped me approach my role as Nate’s dad and the act of adoption itself differently. The world sees a rescue; sees a poor little one brought into a life of luxury and acceptance and calls that good. And it’s true. It’s a wonderful thing. But as is so often the case, the physical, worldly truth is only a dim reflection of the spiritual truth that is also in place. That truth is this; our adopted children will end up having rescued us in more significant ways than we have rescued them. They will play a major role in rescuing us from selfishness; from indulgence, from apathy, and the things of this world all while bringing us closer to our Father’s heart.
I'm thankful to God for this and other little lessons that we've learned on this first step of our lives with Nate. I hope that this is encouraging and a blessing in some way to other parents out there and that we can remember this Truth when times are rough and we want to question if we did the right thing. In those times, ask God to remind you that you've been seated with a Prince / Princess and I know he will show you just how lucky YOU are to be their mom or dad!
...Only I had it completely backwards.
Fast forward to about a month ago. We've had Nate home for quite a while now and we’re doing pretty well with him, but just like any parenting, we have our ups and downs. One afternoon I was sitting with Nate and this song came on. As I was sitting with him listening to the words, my mind immediately went to its usual perspective of what a great thing had happened for Nate and how blessed he was to be with us now and doing so well, when God gently but firmly said “NO”. As I sat there looking at Nate and hearing the song, as if for the first time, God revealed to me that He viewed things quite differently. He showed me that Jenny and I were the ones who had been in the ashes and that He had raised US from that place to have the privilege of being parents to one of His princes…Nate. Silly, goofy, difficult, inconvenient, stubborn, happy, sweet, innocent Nate. God’s heart is ALWAYS for “the least of these”. For the discarded and reviled ones of this world.
Suddenly, it made sense to me and this perspective has certainly helped me approach my role as Nate’s dad and the act of adoption itself differently. The world sees a rescue; sees a poor little one brought into a life of luxury and acceptance and calls that good. And it’s true. It’s a wonderful thing. But as is so often the case, the physical, worldly truth is only a dim reflection of the spiritual truth that is also in place. That truth is this; our adopted children will end up having rescued us in more significant ways than we have rescued them. They will play a major role in rescuing us from selfishness; from indulgence, from apathy, and the things of this world all while bringing us closer to our Father’s heart.
I'm thankful to God for this and other little lessons that we've learned on this first step of our lives with Nate. I hope that this is encouraging and a blessing in some way to other parents out there and that we can remember this Truth when times are rough and we want to question if we did the right thing. In those times, ask God to remind you that you've been seated with a Prince / Princess and I know he will show you just how lucky YOU are to be their mom or dad!
