Hello, friends!

Jesus says that he has arrived. In a string of glorious images, our King promises to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (see Isaiah 61).God declares that in love he predestined us to be adopted (see Ephesians 1). Our human adoptions reflect God's adoption of his children, one of the most vital, splendid realities of the universe. It sounds like the best kind of fairy tale.

But when we read about adoption, when we talk to others, and when we wade through hard decisions, roadblocks and frustrations, we get the feeling that adoption is second best. We worry that any family we manage to patch together through adoption will likely be plagued with loss, rejection, guilt, shame, and grief, and a whole host of difficult or maybe even insurmountable challenges.

Which is it? Is adoption glorious or is it second best? Is it a demonstration of the King's mighty reversal of all that has gone wrong and a glorious reflection of the way he brings children into his family? Or is it a weak, fragmented way to build a family?

There seems to be a disconnect. To honestly face this, we should consider a heap of questions:

What in the world do God's splendid-sounding promises have to do with me as I day-by-day wade through the murky water of life?

Today I have to deal with a struggling boy or girl, again. I have to make a decision about what to do for my unborn child. I have to finish some paperwork, or just wait and wait and wait for a phone call. What in the world do these daily frustrations and worries have to do with God's kingdom advancing in the world?

Is the “crown of beauty” Jesus promises for now, or not until the distant future? Is he really bringing justice to those who mistreat orphans? How do I believe that while looking in the face of children who are starving, neglected, abused?

Are God's great, glorious promises an idealized picture to give us some small inspiration as we live in the real, harsh world? Are they a warm but powerless comfort? Or are they for real?

Is God fulfilling his promises here and now, in my family, or are they a dim future hope, just meant to keep me going when all else seems to fail?

Do I have all the resources of God (who has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”)? Or do I feel I have to hobble along and make do on my own?

Do we listen to experts who describe adoption's perils and pitfalls? Or do we hold boldly onto God's over-the-top sounding promises? Can we do both at once?

That's a lot questions! I suggest to you that engaging with them is not easy, but vitally important to us on our journeys.

Why don't you choose one of the questions and look for answers these next few days and weeks. I'll do the same. Let's open our eyes for clues to the presence of Jesus. Consider how he might be fulfilling his glorious promises through our adoptions. The King is among us, though sometimes incognito, and his work is gradual but unstoppable. See if you can discover him working in vivid technicolor. And let us know what you find, so we can see, too!