Understanding Adoption

Galations 4:4-5
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

So the days are counting down, and the FBI has our background check forms now and we are currently doing a 8-10 hour class online to qualify for foriegn adoption, there are lots of things going on in the Reed house lately.  I must confess as we began the adoption I was saddened by all the hoops that we were going to have to jump thru and the money we were going to have to spend in order to bring our newest addition home.  But still no matter the details and the money required I have been excited about persuing adoption, it is a burden that has been in my life at least 4 years and is now becoming a fulfilled God given dream.
    Now that larger amounts of money have been invested and late night on line curriculums are a normal part of life, I notice my views changing drastically towards what adoption is.  I once saw adoption agencies as people selling children who had a real need, and it saddened me for children to be used for someone's financial gain.  I am getting more of an understanding of the whole process and find myself falling in love with the steps it takes to adopt.  I no longer believe adoption should be easily attainable, I think anyone who has a God breathed dream of adopting should be able to adopt, but I think the process is a very needed and great thing. 
    I have read about how as a believer in Jesus that I am adopted into His family and I have always thought to myself, that there was more in those scriptures than what I was getting.  I love those scriptures that we read and God always keeps us searching the depths of a particular passage and wondering until that one day He floods our spirit with the answer.  Well I don't know that I have the full answer but I think He is definitely flooding me with the deepness of
   (that we might receive ADOPTION)

   I see adoption in John 4:14-18
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."

I see Jesus jumping through major hoops to get to earth to meet at an absolute perfect time with a very troubled lady, who had been left behind and cast aside by others.  This was the kind of lady that other men weren't seen with in public, if you know what I mean.  This lady had a very troubled past, she had been abused by those that she had given her trust too, she too had been neglected but she was still a LADY in the eyes of Jesus.  Jesus was aware of her past, and he was aware of her location and though no one else wanted her.  She probably had a defensive personality that learned to survive but was going to make sure no one ever hurt her again.  But none of that mattered to Jesus.  All that was important to Jesus is that no matter what, He was willing to leave heaven, the protection of all the comfort He was accustomed too for this lady at this particular time.  Jesus knew her past, he knew there would be some tough decisions for her to make, that she would have to drop her walls of protection that she had developed.  But He also believed the great love of His Father could heal any wound, any fears, any abuses and truly give her a new life.
    The lady gave Jesus excuses, but He wouldn't hear them, He acknowledged her obstacles and confronted her that He could wash it all away, Jesus offered living water that last.

    Truly the adoption process of late nights and hard work for extra income is very insignificant compared to the process Jesus went through to adopt us into His family.  He left comfort, left his father, came to be rejected, and nailed to a cross by the ones He longed to adopt. 
    No longer do I think the process of adoption is a big and overwhelming process abused by money hungry people.  Jesus gave the example of the difficulity of the adoption process, He stayed up late many nights and traveled long distances often, even suffered great heart ache on many occasions for the ones that were not a part of His family by birth. 

    Prasie God that we recieve adoption by Jesus Christ because He was willing to go thru the long overwhelming process for the lost, hurting, distant ones that He loved.  I am so glad I am an adopted child of God, I too had walls, I too rejected, I too gave Him reason for a heart ache yet in the end His love has won and healed every hurt of my past, broken down my walls of protection and I have great trust in Him now for my future.  To be adopted into the family of Jesus truly is overwhelming with hope, healing, and love.