Our family recently returned from one
of our favorite vacation spots on the Pacific Coast. A Christian
acquaintance of ours cuts us an incredible deal to rent her place on
the beach....just perfect for our family!
Within a few minutes' drive from the
bungalows sits a salt water lagoon, one of our kids' favorite places
to explore with its bathtub-like warm water, seagulls, crabs and
shells galore! Since my brother introduced the boys to fishing last
year, the lagoon has become a favorite fishing hole, especially for
15 year old Alejandro!
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| Alejandro fishing at the lagoon...first with a fishing pole and then the local way...with a stick, fishing line and a hook! |
This year, Alejandro spent some time fishing with the locals...no poles involved, just a stick, fishing line and a hook, which they send out into the water with a whirling movement reminiscent of David slinging the pebble at Goliath. One one excursion, we arrived at the lagoon and began to lather ourselves in sunscreen. Alejandro, stick and fishing line in hand, turned and said to me, with a disappointed tone in his voice: “There's nobody else fishing!”
Now, being the expert fisherwoman that
I am (ha ha ha ha!), I assumed that a lack of competition would be
good news! However, Alejandro
quickly clarified his dilemma, “Mom, I was going to ask the other
guys for bait!”
Alejandro had gone fishing with no
bait! (That's a whole other blog and spiritual lesson!)
Always trying to teach our children the
purpose of family, I calmly responded, “Alejandro, therein lies one
of the benefits of having a father. Ask Dad and he can get you some
bait.” At Victor's suggestion, Alejandro inquired at the little
restaurant to see if they had any bait available. They ended up
giving Alejandro some bait for free and he happily spent the next few
hours fishing!
Thankfully, the spiritual lesson has
lasted much longer than those few hours!
As an adoptive mom of 18 children, I
have witnessed first hand, and felt in my heart firsthand, the
difference between those of our children who fully embrace their
place in our family and those who do not.
Alejandro, a work
in process like all of our children, and each of us, still remains a
bit rougher around the edges than most. He joined our family over
three years ago at age 11. By the time he reached our doorstep, and
our hearts, he had lived in at least 7 different living situations in
those 11 years, including on the street, in a stranger's home, at
various motels and in an informal halfway house for adult male
alcoholics. Alejandro readily identifies Victor and I as his
parents, yet, he hasn't quite internalized what it actually means
to have a Dad and Mom. For example, if you have a Dad and Mom
you don't have to finagle bait from strangers; you can ask Dad and
Mom and they, within their capabilities and considering what is
healthy and best for you, will actually give you the desires of your
heart!
I began to wonder
if we don't do the same with our Heavenly Father. We are adopted,
too, you know!
“The
Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in
fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your
adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,“Abba,
Father.” Romans
8:15
“He
predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in
accordance with his pleasure and will.” Ephesians
1:5
WE
ARE CHILDREN OF GOD! But,
do we really embrace being God's son or daughter? Do we enjoy all
the benefits of being a child of the Creator, Owner and Sustainer of
the universe on a daily basis? We marvel at what
life might
be like as
the
child of a famous actor or actress, of
the President or some rich oil tycoon, but I am the daughter of the
CEO and CFO of the universe!
As
an adoptive
mother,
I
find nothing more heartbreaking,
and at times frustrating, than
to
know how much I love each of my children, to know that I have fully
accepted them as sons and daughters, and then to watch them reject
that love, or that position, and the needless suffering they endure
simply because they refuse to fully accept their adoption and
live in the abundance that sonship or daughtership affords!
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| The Zaragoza Family March 2015 Front row: Carolina, David, Ana, Ruth Middle row: Fatima, Miguel, Victor, Julie, Caleb, Jocelin Back row: Fidel, Alejandro, Lolis, Martita, Martha, Angie, Diana, Leo, Josiah With Jesus in Heaven: Danny |
Alejandro's
fishing incident illustrated this reality in a very small, and
actually quite insignificant, way. However, upon
returning
from vacation, our 17 year old daughter Lolis upped the stakes by
deciding to permanently return to her hometown and extended
biological family. While
we would not normally allow
a child to make such
a decision, Lolis had begun to act
in ways hurtful
to her life
and health
in order get what
she wanted. So,
through
the guidance of both our Heavenly Counselor (the
Holy Spirit)
and the
advice of our family's earthly counselor, we
felt
peace that loving Lolis meant letting her go! So, on Monday, March
16, Victor and I and Martita (Lolis' older biological sister and our
third eldest), accompanied Lolis back to her hometown. We
reassured her time and time again that 'once
our daughter, always our daughter'; that she can
count on us throughout her lifetime. However,
sadly,
she will not enjoy the benefits of her
daughtership until
she
fully accepts the fact that she is
our
daughter!
As
an adoptive mom, I
know that my Heavenly Father understands me! How sad and frustrated
He
must feel at times! He
knows
how
much he loves us and He knows all that He has prepared for us and yet
then
watches
us suffer, stumble and endure
times of great lacking and suffering, not because He is incapable
of providing
for us
or
sustaining us,
but because we have rendered ourselves incapable of receiving all
He has for us due
to the fact that we
have not fully embraced our sonship or daughtership!
As
an adopted daughter of God, watching Lolis and Alejandro not fully
embrace their earthly adoption has spurred me on to more fully
embrace, and enjoy, my Heavenly adoption and all of its incredible,
literally out-of-this-world benefits!
If
you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are
a child of the King of the Universe! Embrace it! Accept your son or
daughtership! Enjoy having God as Father! Approach the throne of
grace with full confidence! Let's not loose out on being coheirs
with Christ by asking strangers for what our Father is fully capable
and willing to give us!
If
you have never prayed to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and
Savior...today is the day! It would be an honor and privilege to
help you become a son or daughter of God! If you would like to
belong to an eternal family, then I invite you to pray the following
prayer (or you can do so with your own words):
“Dear
God, on this day I come before you desiring to be your child. I know
that
I have sinned and that my sin has separated me from you. However, I
understand
that you sent your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross to pay
for my sins and then brought Him back to life winning
the
victory over sin and death. Please forgive me for my sins. I accept
your gift of forgiveness. Please come into my heart and life and be
my Father! Thank you because I know now that I will spend the rest
of this life enjoying a relationship with You, getting to know You
and depending on You, and I will spend all of eternity with You in
Heaven. In Jesus name, Amen.”
