Kim, at Mother-Lode, directed me to a wonderful blog written by Peter Leithart. His Advent studies include some thoughts about Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus. This caused me to be reminded of a recent conversation with my son.
My husband and I were blessed to be able to adopt both of our children. They have always known they were adopted, and the full meaning of this gradually becomes more clear to them as they grow older. A few weeks ago, our son (age 11) asked me a question about why he was so tall for his age, and the answer required a little foray into the role that genetics play in determining physical characteristics. I took out his adoption notebook full of the plethora of documents one must fill out and acquire during the adoption process. It seemed appropriate to share with him some of the information we have concerning his birth parents. When he learned that his birth father was tall and big, he smiled and said, "That's why I'm so tall!" He wanted to know more, and when I shared that the adoption agency papers described his birth mother as an introvert, and his birth father as an extrovert, he had another "light-bulb moment" and said, "That's just like me. I'm a little bit of both."
I am so thankful that we home school, and that I could answer these questions during our day, right when our son needed to know. But, I also see that God was able to teach me something from this exchange. As I ponder Joseph's role in the upbringing of Jesus, his adopted Son, I am struck with a powerful contrast. In OUR family, it is my husband and I who gradually unfold the history of our children's past for them. (This is not to negate the part that God plays in this. Just bear with me...) In Jesus's earthly family, it was HE who gradually unfolded the story of His FUTURE, His purpose for living here on earth, to Joseph and Mary. This is what Jesus always does. He takes what WE do, and turns it upside down and inside out to show Who He Is. It is His humanity that helps us to see similarities to our lives, but it is His deity that always surprises us and stretches our thinking.
And to think that I learned this because my son is tall for his age. Only God can do such wonders!
2 comments:
It is always amazing to me to think of how easily God dips in and out of time, how utterly pliable it is to Him. Perhaps I can find a way to use this as encouragement when the trials of life seem to go on endlessly.
Thanks for the reminder.
I think one reason God gives us glimpses into His majesty is to encourage us when those inevitable trials come. These glimpses are true gems of blessing to us that shine for a very long time.
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