Aaron's Perspective

As a young boy, I used to love life and all of its “seemingly” innocent ways. I had friends, played little league sports, and enjoyed spending time with my parent’s. We didn’t have a lot growing up now that I look back on it. My dad worked really hard which allowed my mom to stay at home with the (at the time) three young kids. They made a decision that no matter what, my dad would take on the burden of providing alone so that my mother wouldn’t have to work. This was not always easy on them as times got tough financially. In fact, one year it was so tough that my dad had to take a job at a mall as Santa Claus after his normal long work week was over just to be able to buy us Christmas presents. Years later my dad made a bold move to pack up and move my family to a small town in east Texas (Mt. Vernon) to start a new career in insurance sales. I remember being upset at him at the time for moving me away from my friends and the only life I knew. Friends and even family members gave my dad a hard time and seriously questioned him on why he would do such a thing. It must have seemed pretty crazy to all to move from the Dallas metroplex where jobs seemed to abound to a little town where everyone farmed and ranched. It was at this time when I first started to see and understand the strength of my dad. I was 15 and beginning to become a young man myself. The world wasn’t as innocent anymore as I once thought it was. A year later, turning 16 my dad helped me start my own lawn service. He helped me buy some equipment to get started but made me pay him back throughout the summer. As frustrated as I was about this concept, he taught me what I was going to be facing the “Real world”. To this day I attribute my work ethic to him and understand now the importance of it. I also learned to take pride in myself and my work which built confidence. As I moved through my high school years my dad began having more and more financial success to where he was able to put me through college at Texas A&M. He helped inspire me and never withheld good things from me. He did this joyfully for myself and all of my now five other siblings.

My dad didn’t just lead, provide and teach me to be a man. My dad faithfully served the Lord. He took our family to church every Sunday and would spend time teaching me the gospel. He did this through love and discipline. I began to see that my dad loved me as Jesus loves us. He sacrificed for his family as Jesus sacrifices for his people. He led his family from his knees praying for strength and wisdom. My dad was not perfect but it was through even his sins where he showed me what it was like to be humble and repentant. No earthly father is perfect and my dad is no exception but Jesus is and He promises us grace. He does not promise “easy times” but He does promise to be there with us faithfully and shows us that He loves us through those hard times.

Today, I am now a dad myself to an amazing 5 ½ year old little boy. God has so richly blessed me beyond what I ever deserved and could have ever even asked for yet I feel frustrated and stressed more often than not. I fear that my little world my get “disrupted” or even worse, get taken away. I question at times why we haven’t been able to have another child of our own and question this thought of God providing us a child through adoption. Where will we adopt from? A foreign country? How will that work? If we go fostering to adopt? How will this impact my life? I mean, what if this child comes from a really troubled home? Will I be able to love this child like I love Tyler? What if I foster and then the child is taken away? Will that not make me sad and or angry? Will the comforts of my little world be at risk with the financial and or emotional toll another child will bring on? What if we adopt and then get pregnant? How will that work with the “Dynamics” of a family? You can see the sinful, unfaithful cycle that I’ve battled in my head?

But then I’m reminded by Paul who I once was. He reminds me that I was the “Fatherless” child who was troubled. That I had nothing to offer but a sinful heart that was selfish. I had no way of saving myself from my situation either but as Paul points out in Romans 8:15-17, God first loved us and adopted us into His family. (15) “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father! (16) The Spirit himself bears a witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (17) and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Oh there is SO much in these versus! So much about how God LOVES us SO much that He describes himself as Abba! Father! He tells us here that we are adopted heirs to His family meaning we have birthrights just as Jesus does because He chose to give us that birthright. He chose to forgive us of our sins when we could not forgive ourselves. He chose to give us good things in this world even when we did not deserve them. He chose to make us heirs to His kingdom and not second hand “Step-children” so to speak. Why would God do this? I do not have any right to this! How does God do this? Through grace and suffering on the cross! Jesus paid our debts, adopted us as heirs, and treats us as if we were sinless. 

I’m almost in tears typing this because I’m challenged by this great love thinking about how I could ever even doubt His goodness and mercy. But I’m also encouraged and reminded that God is good, that He loves me, and that He calls us to be faithful as He has been to me. With that my heart melts. As a father, I’m convinced that God has put adoption on our hearts for our joy and His glory! I’m excited to take steps towards adoption knowing that God is in full control and I pray that He be glorified through this no matter if it’s easy or hard. I pray that as a father, I look to Christ for strength, wisdom, patience, and love. I pray that Christ be glorified to a child who needs a father just as I needed one. Amen.

Aaron