Today was a great day with our son. As always he was so excited to see us. His nannies gave him permission to leave his play group but not before instructing him to don his shlyapa (hat). His hat was back in the room, so he tucked in his elbows, put his fists straight out, and took off running with a unique high step run that gets him where he wants to go very quickly. He came back in a sort of strut wearing his cute little blue canvas hat with a short brim that goes all the way around. We walked together, sat on a bench and played with play dough, and later, we let him enjoy a banana that we brought.
Being Sunday we were only allowed to stay half a day, so we took a drive through the countryside to get off the beaten path in this beautiful country. While out I witnessed a young shepherd boy walking through grassland with dozens of sheep under his care. It was as if time had stood still, and I was reminded of how, when the shepherd boy calls, the sheep know his voice and they follow him.
This led me to thinking about our son and this adoption. He was born without a family to raise him, lost in this world. It was not by his actions that led him to call on us. Yet we are seeking him out, and desire with all our heart that he not be lost, but have a life with us. A life so much better than the one he has now, parentless in a orphanage, that he cannot even comprehend, and cannot yet understand how deep our love is for him or how rich the blessings we desire to bestow on him. Soon we will be like a shepherd to him, he will look upon us and know our voice, and we will call him by name, a new name that we have given him to signify his new life.
This helps me understand why Jesus refers to himself as the good Shepherd (John 10:11) and tells his followers they are adopted as his sons into the faith (Ephesians 1:5). It is not by our actions, but a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). He is seeking us out and desires that we not be lost (John 15:3). We cannot comprehend or understand what he has done for us (Romans 5:8) or how much he loves us (Psalm 36:5). If you call on His name and believe in your heart, then He is our shepherd (Romans 10: 9-10) and will give us a new name (Revelation 2:17) and a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Being Sunday we were only allowed to stay half a day, so we took a drive through the countryside to get off the beaten path in this beautiful country. While out I witnessed a young shepherd boy walking through grassland with dozens of sheep under his care. It was as if time had stood still, and I was reminded of how, when the shepherd boy calls, the sheep know his voice and they follow him.
This led me to thinking about our son and this adoption. He was born without a family to raise him, lost in this world. It was not by his actions that led him to call on us. Yet we are seeking him out, and desire with all our heart that he not be lost, but have a life with us. A life so much better than the one he has now, parentless in a orphanage, that he cannot even comprehend, and cannot yet understand how deep our love is for him or how rich the blessings we desire to bestow on him. Soon we will be like a shepherd to him, he will look upon us and know our voice, and we will call him by name, a new name that we have given him to signify his new life.
This helps me understand why Jesus refers to himself as the good Shepherd (John 10:11) and tells his followers they are adopted as his sons into the faith (Ephesians 1:5). It is not by our actions, but a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). He is seeking us out and desires that we not be lost (John 15:3). We cannot comprehend or understand what he has done for us (Romans 5:8) or how much he loves us (Psalm 36:5). If you call on His name and believe in your heart, then He is our shepherd (Romans 10: 9-10) and will give us a new name (Revelation 2:17) and a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17).
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