Welcome to the Family

Our children can learn that . . . . the concept of “family” does not rest solely on biology.
They can learn that love transcends many artificial boundaries frequently put into place by humans. They can learn that closing one door can open another door and another and another . . . . ” Caroline Harding, adoptive parent

 On my blogspot for kids I have a page reserved for encouragement for my grandkids. The encouragement that is offered there is for all my grandkids “whether adopted by love or acquired by blood.” Technically by blood or biologically I have four grandchildren. By love, all the ones I have adopted over the years I have over eleven. I even have a great granddaughter who was adopted by love. All of which have been welcomed into our family one by one.

Recently one of my adopted grandchildren was concerned about her real grandfather who was recently put on hospice. I asked her Aunt if I had permission to talk to Jayleena about the latest news regarding his health. The response I got was, “Well, you are her grandma. Yes, you can tell her.” It made me feel good inside knowing I not only had adopted her as my child but they had adopted me as well.

It was like a program our church started for the seniors. It was a “adopt a grandparent” program where the younger generation got to pick an older couple to watch over them and encouragement them as a grandchild would. The couple I chose was the perfect pair. Immediately they adopted me just as much or more as I had them. They were the most wonderful pair. Grandma Bunny passed away this year but I still have Grandpa Chuck to love on.

It is so true that the concept of family doesn’t have to rest solely on whether you are biologically related by blood or adopted by love. It goes beyond that. It goes beyond step-siblings and half-brothers or prodigal relatives. What a blessed feeling it is to know that we are loved enough to be adopted by someone.

Loved enough to be accepted into ones family circle, to be a part of the family tree with no missing branches or fallen limbs. Cared about enough to be invited in to where we originally were not planted. We don’t have to put a boundary on our love and who we will accept or not. It’s not something to be ashamed of that you are “only adopted.” It’s a privilege to be adopted into a family just like it is to be adopted by God into His family. With either it’s up to us to receive the invitation as we are welcomed with open arms.

They are wrong when they say, “You can pick your friends but you can’t pick your relatives.” You may not get to pick all of your relatives but there are a lot out there we can pick from. The choice becomes ours if we are willing to open up our hearts to something more. The key is finding the room or better yet making the room to allow others to enter and call your heart, their home.

Welcome to the family!

Our host today in Nina at Mama’s Little Treasures, you need to run over there and join in our Tuesday circle as we write and share about today’s quote.