“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins”-Matthew 1:20b-21 (NIV).
The story of Jesus has been touted as the greatest story ever told. If this is most certainly true, then the birth of Jesus can be described as the greatest adoption story ever told.
Joseph obviously was not the biological father of Jesus. So how could he ever hope to reach the high standards set by Jesus’ Heavenly Father? Fortunately, that was not the angel’s command. Joseph was told to accept Mary as his wife, and Jesus as his adopted son. And so he did.
As remarkable as that is, that’s not the most remarkable part of the story. There’s more to this adoption journey: “God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan”-Ephesians 1:5 (CEB).
God’s plan from the very beginning was that through Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection, we would be offered a Forever Home. Just as Joseph chose to adopt Jesus, God chooses to adopt us.
At Sunrise Children’s Services, we have been on an adoption journey of our own. Since the start of the program, we have celebrated 389 adoptions, completing 17 adoptions since Sept. 1. We have also added the service of Adoption Home Studies this year, which recently completed its first adoption.
But that’s not the most remarkable part of our story either. From Sept. 1, 2016, to Aug. 31, 2017, Sunrise reported 18 rededications, 34 baptisms, and 56 professions of faith. We give God all the glory as we welcome these children into the Kingdom.
God’s greatest story isn’t finished. He is still writing it on the hearts of individuals and families. If Christmas is about adoption, then it’s about family in the truest and broadest since of the word. This Christmas season, please pray for the 8,684 kids in Kentucky placed in out-of-home care as they wait for their forever families. Pray that these kids’ stories will have happy endings and that God will continue to use Sunrise to help even more kids in Kentucky find their earthly and eternal homes.