(This Chapter Adopted For A Purpose is dedicated to Steve and Kelly Eberly. I love You Both Very Much. Thanks, Your Brother In Christ, Al)
Seven year old boy Vladimir Chesnikoff sat staring outside his orphanage window looking out at the run down play ground he had played on so many times. He thought to himself of how many times he and his buddies laughed together as they ran around for a little while on so many occasions with out a care in the world. These were the memories that he would take with him as he was about to leave his temporary home for the past six years. His newly found parents from the United States were going to be flying in today to take him back to America with them and begin to his new life. Sure Vladimir was excite
d, but he was also a little scared as well. Sure, his new mom seemed kind, and he could see that she was a little scared too, but he could see the love in her soft brown eyes and knew that she would love him and make him feel very safe and secure. He could also see that his new father was a good man. A gentle man who would be kind to him. Teach him about God and the love of Jesus. And even though he couldn't speak a word of English yet there was a peace that passed all understanding that everything was going to be ok. So he packed up all that he owned in a little green bag . His special red tooth brush, his best stuffed friend "Teddy" and a couple of rocks that he had gathered through the years while playing outside in the orphanage playground. They would serve as a reminder he thought to himself, to never forget where he had come from. It was an hour before he was about to leave. So Vladimir decided to say goodbye to the friends he had made over the past six years. No matter how good it felt to be leaving, there was still a hollow feeling in his heart for those who were not chosen yet. He loved his friends. All they really had was a each other. To tell you the truth, there is a common bond to those who were left behind and rejected. Only the one's who know of that feeling can truly experience the thrill of what being accepted brings. To truly be wanted and to feel un-conditionally loved, just because you are valuable as a person, is a feeling t hat no one can put a price tag on. Vladimir knew that. He was special because he understood how it felt to be left behind six years before. It was a horrible feeling that only those who endure can truly understand. There are days he is still angry. There were days that he was just happy to have a pair of socks(even if they had a couple of holes in them). There were days that he prayed and hoped to God that someone would want him again. That he could feel that special feeling of being loved and of being part of a family. After saying goodbye to most of his friends the seven year old wiped away his happy kind of sad tears and said in Russian to the Director of the Adoption Center. "Please take me to the second floor, I need to say goodbye to one more person." As they got to the hospital wing floor where the sickly kids were, Vladimir came upon his friend Boris, another seven year old who was sick and who was born with a couple of physical deformities. Boris knew that his friend was leaving for good this day and tried not to show his tears to much. Sure, he was happy, but for the past two years his friend Vladimir would come up and see him and read his bible with him. He would miss that most of all but knew it was best that his friend would moving on to a loving home. After speaking for about 15 minutes the two boys hugged as Vladimir said one last thing that his loving comrad. " I will come back for you one day Boris. Just know that I love you and I know who you are and how special you are. God has a purpose for you and I, and I pray you find a loving family too. But if you don't, I will be back for you, I promise ,I will. I love you. Every time you read your Bible think of me as I will be thinking of you and knowing how much God truly loves both of us." Vladimir handed Boris his Bible and quickly exited the second floor of the adoption center. Both boys believing in their heart that they would see each other again in their young and naive hearts. I cannot imagine what it would be like to not be wanted by your own family. To be left behind by those who were supposed to take care of you. Your self value has to diminish in a significant way. The spirit of rejection is devastating. It leads to the destruction of one's spirit. That is why I believe it takes an act as great as being adopted to mend that wound of not being wanted any more. We cannot choose the family that we are born into. That is something that we have no control over. And whether we are loved or abused or not wanted the choice there is not ours. But when some one wants to adopt us, it is because they are willing to change their lives because of a choice to make another life better. They want this child to have a chance to feel love. They want this abandoned kid to feel the warmth of a Christmas Day and the power of having a birthday party given to them in their honor. Most of the times these adoption processes are costly to the parents who are looking to make someone's broken heart whole again. Financially, emotionally, spiritually and very time consuming can be just a few of the costs that these brave and wonderful people can experience. But what they understand is that someone is going to get another chance to find love again. Someone who was left behind by ones they thought loved them whether willingly or unwillingly in their past. Such a great act of care and unselfishness is something that, to tell you the truth, words cannot express its greatness. To put it plainly when you get adopted you are wanted again. Someone thinks enough of you to care for and love you. They know the road ahead will not be easy but the costs, whether it be financial, or emotional the risk to their own hearts, is far outweighed by the greatness of the changed and healed spirit of their newly acquired family member. They fully understand the reward out weighs the sacrifice. There are many of you out there today who do not feel loved, even in their own families. The spirit that is within you is now wounded . And of course there are millions who sit inside an adoption center waiting for the day that some one will think that they are worth the sacrifice too. I want to share with you today that there is someone who thinks so highly of you and that he wants to adopt you into his family. His name is Jesus Christ. It says in the Bible that when we become born again, we become adopted into the family of God. We become sons and daughters of the Most High in Heaven. When our names are written in the Lambs Book of Life we take on the name of Jesus in our nature and in our hearts, and become an eternal member of God' s family. Here it is. To put it plainly, we are wanted, we are loved and our Father in Heaven wants us home. We won't have to worry about feeling that we ever don’t belong again. Ask yourself today my friends, are you saved? Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? I cannot think of a better family to be placed in. Your Father in Heaven wants you. He loves you too much to leave you where you are at. So come in from the cold my weary friends, and remember that God loves you and has a room built just for you in his house. And just like Vladimir and Boris in this chapter, I promise you, He wants to adopt you and come and bring you home one day to come live with Him for all eternity. You can count on it because you are loved just because you are you. And God desires all his children to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved one day. There is one catch, though. Just like our newly adopted friend mentioned above had to agree to go with his new father, the invitation extended from your Heavenly Father, from the cross, needs to be believed and received by you. I hope whomever reads this chapter today will feel wanted again. I believe there is no greater gift we can give one another. My prayer is that you say yes to God when he comes knocking at your door to become saved. Accept his invitation that is already written and signed, yes signed, with the precious blood of our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let Him in your hearts my friends, let him in. Okay? Your new life and new home awaits you. Love you,
Al
Chapter 8