Adopted, not Orphaned

Jacob was asking about the bills the other day and how we paid for them. After his typical rifling of questions, he came to the conclusion that being an adult is hard. At this point I got to say something I wish was said to me more often as a kid, “Enjoy being a kid.” I was always too anxious to grow up. Maybe I am a better adult than I was a kid, or I just feel more comfortable in an adult role. Regardless, I want my kids to enjoy their home and the blessing of parents that provide and care for them. Abby will tell us that she is never leaving home. She is not going to get married or leave our house. I know she is only 5, but there is a great sense of joy knowing my kids feel peace and security at home.

I can’t imagine what it would have been like if my parents just told me one day that in a little while they would be leaving—for good. What do you do when the ones who have taken care of you tell you that they are leaving?  The disciples were put in this position. When Jesus met the disciples they were teenagers, and they left their families to be with Him.  Now Jesus was telling them He is going to leave, but not to worry because He’ll send a helper. I have never been orphaned, so I can’t imagine how this felt, but they had to be scared. And since they had no clue what the Holy Spirit was going to be like, it had to be even scarier. This weekend we will dive into these words to see where the disciples were at and how they responded. We’ll also review the good news that Jesus did not leave us as orphans, but adopted us in spite of our sinful behaviors. His constant grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit are with us every day, and it is an awesome blessing!