The waiting was finally over.  Allison, now a little over one year of age and miles from her Chinese homeland, was moments away from her first appearance in court.  Ordinarily, a summons to present before a judge for one as indefensible as this barefooted, rosy-cheeked little cherub would be unnerving.  But I, as an invited firsthand witness, can testify that Allison would not have to brave her event alone.  In tow was her adoptive family who had come with a contagious air of celebration such that the entire third wing of the building was astir with whispered murmurings surmising the purpose of this visit.   Today, just as the spectators suggested, Allison would be declared an official member of her new family.  It was a landmark occasion for a family who had labored over the miniscule details required by countless bureaucratic stipulations.

As the last door on the hallway opened, the party entered what had been the mysterious innards where legal deliberations are made.  For a short while, this space became a welcoming chamber for a cheery domestic suit.   Like any typical proceeding, this one began with a sworn oath made by a teary- eyed mother and a sympathetic father while an unknowing Allison climbed back and forth between sets of now-familiar arms. Each in turn, the lawyer and judge petitioned questions aimed at confirming physical provision for Allison.   Soon after, inquiries shifted to her new parents’ intentions regarding her emotional well-being.  With a hint of jesting, all notions of returning her after a sleepless night or when the perils of adolescence emerged were disallowed.  The dialogue extended to her new siblings as well, verifying understanding of their role as brother and sister.  They would have to learn, perhaps the hard way, how enticing a lock of hair can be for a little hand and just how much space a small sister needs to explore.  But their unreservedly affirmative response to their new role, complete with newly-learned courtroom etiquette, seemed to be the final seal of approval on the case.  After a few important signatures and a congratulatory picture with the judge, talk of ice cream and other happy treats could begin. 

In many ways, Allison’s story depicting her official transference from orphan-hood to family-hood paints a picture of the Christian story.  It tells of a deliberate sacrifice on the part of her parents to give her a new identity and a new life.  Extensive measures were attempted such that this particular child would come to be known as theirs.  And long before Allison conceived of having a family, they were thinking of her.  Her parents’ choice meant that she would gain a whole host of family members, including a brother and sister.  In the decision to take her as their own, her parents would prove just how much of a family affair adoption really is.   

The bestowal of a new identity to Allison would mean more than a one-sided readjustment on the part of her new family.  Allison herself would have to respond to the relentless pursuit of her family’s love with a realignment of her entire self.  This meant learning the intimacy of a cuddled embrace during mealtime rather than the secluded spot to which she had grown accustomed.  Her means of sustenance now had a tangible source from which she must learn to feed.   She would also have to learn to meet the uncomfortable gaze of love which had hunted her down rather than looking everywhere but to the eyes which offered it.   And perhaps hardest of all, she would have to grow to trust a new authority.  In doing so she would find joy in obedience and a deeper level of intimate fellowship than she had ever known before.   

Allison’s story reminds me of the wayward people of God who were at one time called “not my people,” and became, through adoption, “sons of the living God” (Hosea 1:10, Romans 9:26).  Their lot, however, was more dire than a mere lack of family relations.  What they needed in order to come into the Family of God was deliverance from slavery--slavery to sin and an oppressive taskmaster.1  God’s provision for their loneliness was one piece of the puzzle, yet He ultimately gave them Himself as a new master, a new hope and a new inheritance.  In adopting them, He declared them part of His Family in the present and assured them of nothing less than the fullness of Himself at the return of His Son.  We too, like the Israelites, have been adopted into God’s Family.  Our deliverance from the evil one has been secured, our identity has been sealed and our inheritance is nothing less than God Himself.  And one day, just like Allison, our waiting will be over, we will be joined with our true Father and Family, and we will know the rich fullness of our adoption. 

1  Robert A. Peterson, Adopted By God.