Reflections on Adoption

I was praying for Hannah the other day (as I do every day) as I reflected on our adoption in Christ. Going through this adoption process deepens my understanding of God's love for me as my love for Hannah grows. The surface comparison is obvious - God sought me out when I was a stranger; He bought me with a price - a great, very expensive price - the life blood of his own Son; He brought me into his family; He made me a son and an heir, giving me the full rights of his child.
As I journey farther in this adoption, studying things like attachment and bonding and what to expect from this little one who has never had a mother or father, the less obvious similarities are so striking to me that they make me love my heavenly Father all the more - He loved me with a deep longing and affection when I didn't even know His name; He loves me even when I don't understand how to love him back; He consistently clothes, nurtures, cares for me even when I don't recognize the fullness of his provision; He doesn't abandon me when I fight or rage against him, or when I grieve over the past, or when I choose old rags instead of his riches; He just holds me close, lets me wail, and teaches me to rest peacefully once I'm all cried out; As I grow to understand His love more and more, I learn to recognize His voice and follow after Him - when I do, He shows me great and unsearchable things that I didn't know before; He is faithful and I long to be faithful to Him.
How I pray that Hannah will recognize our love for her and in time, long to love us back. I pray that this adoption will help her understand how deep the Father's love is for us, how vast beyond all measure, that He would give his only Son to make a wretch His treasure. May she know it so deeply, because she has experienced a glimpse of it in our family. May all our children experience a deeper love of Christ because of this journey. I am.