"Father God I wonder how I'd manage to exist without the knowledge of your parenthood and your loving care. Now I am your child, I am adopted in your family and I can never be alone, coz Father God you're their beside me."
This is the first Christian song I ever learnt. It was the summer when I was 4 (1990) and I was sitting on the stairs at the Pleasaunce, a Christian hotel in Norfolk we've stayed at multiple times, when my dad taught me the song. (This is how I remember it anyway.) I've been thinking about adoption recently. The Bemm family have been a real life example to me of what adoption is. They are missionaries here at Tenwek Hospital (Dr Bemm being the paediatrician I work with). They now have 7 children. Last time I was here they had 4! This addition is not because of multiple or serial pregnancies, but because they have adopted/are in the process of adopting some Kenyan children from a baby centre they are involved with. They have 3 biological children (the oldest 3 of the 7), Hannah, 4, who they adopted a few years ago and 3 toddlers they are in the process of adopting. However, speaking to them there is no difference between any of them. They are a family of 9 - 2 parents with SEVEN children (madness!). Toddlers have plenty of times where they make you laugh or are just cute and adorable, but also have smelly nappies and cause sleepless nights. However, the rough times don't make them any less a son or daughter. They are part and parcel of being parents to young children.
So how does this relate to anything significant? Now that we are adopted as children of God we get all the good things which come with that. (Romans 8:14-17) God delights over us (Zeph 3:17) as any parent does over their children. However, once we become Christians we don't suddenly lead perfect lives. We have days when we constantly have "dirty nappies" that our heavenly father needs to deal with. I know I do! Many of them! But this does not affect our status as children of God. He deals with us, cleanses us and gives us the spiritual nutrition we need to grow. Furthermore, we can find our identity in being part of His family - his sons and daughters, no less.
There is something about a father/daughter relationship. I won't say that I always had the best relationship with my dad and we had our fair share of arguments as I grew up, but I always knew he loved me. I always knew he cared for me. And I rely on him in many ways even now as someone in their mid-twenties. I rely on him to guide me and he is the one I tend to ask spiritual advice from. He gives me great hugs and lets me know that he loves me (directly and also non-directly). He tells me that he's proud of me and that he values me. He's told me about the first time he held me as a baby (when my mother was still under a GA). (I know I haven't seen my dad in almost 3 months, so may have slightly rose-tinted glasses...) This is similar to the link we have with our heavenly father. But how much more so with Him? He gives us perfect guidance. He tells me that He loves me (both directly to me and also through His Word). He formed me in my mothers womb (Psalm 139).
And yes, I really do wonder how I would manage to exist without knowledge of his love for me and his fatherhood. I know that I've had times in the past, that some of you are aware of, where I could barely comprehend this, but in the end His love was probably the only thing that got me through and got me to where I am today. I don't know that I would still exist if it hadn't been for His love guiding me through. And I know that His love and fatherhood will continue to be my basis for existence.
Just one more note on this song. I had a hearing problem as a child. But also didn't know the word "adopted" as a 4 year old. I did, however, know the word "doctor". So my version went: "Now I am a doctor in your family...." Interesting, eh?
Post-script:
Today is World AIDS Day. Let's remember all those with HIV/AIDS both in our own communities and all over the world. There is still so much stigma surrounding the disease which needs to be got rid of. I have seen babies and children with HIV and seen how it affects their lives here. I believe it could be even harder to live with in the UK as the stigma is potentially higher than here. The theme this year is "Getting to Zero" - zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths. Is this possible? I don't know. But it's definitely something to aim towards.
