He raised Jesus the best he could with morals and values. He taught him carpentry and led him through his short journey in life with love and understanding. He adopted Jesus into his heart as his child, proving to God and the world that he was a good parent and a noble man. He took the challenge that God set before him and he did his best to uphold his promise to raise Jesus as his own. If we look at it this way, one could argue that adoption was the choice that God made for Jesus. One could then argue that adoption is a noble choice for anyone who follows in God's footsteps.
It is a deep notion to consider. I was raised Catholic and know the religion. But I wonder how many other people out there have thought about the life of Jesus in this way? It is completely true, Jesus was adopted by Joseph. And if adoption was good enough for God, then why can't more people see the positive side of adoption? Why does there have to be such a negative stigma attached to those who are considered the birth parents? Why do these amazing, selfless, brave, and often vilianized parents have to live with such ridicule? Did they not make the same decision for their children that God made for his son? I sit here proud to think that I made the same decision that God made when it came to our children, and I have never thought about it this way before.
Just another sign that I have a purpose in life to raise POSITIVE awareness for this sensitive issue we call adoption.
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5 comments:
I love your perspective on this subject and I totally agree with you!
Thank you Brandy! I was surprised that I had never thought of it that way before, but when I did, it made total sense!
Thank you for reading and thank you for the opinion!
My Best to You!
Kelsey
I see where you're going Kelsy, and I think it's good that adoptive families and adoptees are viewed with more validity and acceptance than in the past.
However, I do have some issues with this line of thinking. One is that God did not relinquish his son. At no time did he stop being Jesus' Father. And while he did send his own son, and allow him to be an atoning sacrifice on our behalf, it was also he himself taking our place, as Jesus is divine. Our God is one God, in three persons...but not three separate Gods.
You say here that adoption is a noble choice. However, parenting can be just as noble a choice for a women who experiences a crisis pregnancy. Many women over the years have been influenced by just this idea, and have relilnquished their children, to their own harm, because adoption was presented as the noble, loving choice. Parenting, in comparison, seemed selfish. I hope that sort of helps make it clear why I would challenge this line of thinking.
A really great blog written by a first mom that might address some of this is In His Easy Yoke. She is a beautiful follower of Christ, and is very transparent in her writing.
Are you ready for the Interview Project? Whew, I'm still answering a few questions for my partner! lol I was paired with a women who has pastored, and this is actually an area I asked her to comment on. I'm anxious to read her reply!
Blessings.
Michelle,
First let me say thank you for posting your opinion about this subject, I was surprised that it took this long for someone to challenge it! And I see where you are going with your thinking.
Like I said in the original post, I was taken back that I had never thought about the role that Joseph had in Jesus' life. I understand why you would not see it in the light that I do and since I always value others opinions I am going to elaborate a little in my thinking. When I learned I was pregnant, the first thing I did was talk to God about the situations. I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I just could not wrap my head around the reason why I was chosen to have children out of wedlock. Raised Catholic, I knew that what was happening to me was something that was beyond what I could handle and needed help to understand what to do. I talked to Him daily and asked for His help, His guidance. He lead me to adoption. In the years after the adoptions, He continued to help ease my soul and teach me that it is not what other think of me, but how I saw myself in His eyes.
I know that God gave us his only son to teach us how to live. He gave us His only son to show us the good and evil in the world and how to live life in a peaceful way lead by His example. I will quote your blog, The Warrior Princess Diaries .... "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:11-12. I was up against a LOT of evil while I was carrying my children because of how some in society perceive those that have children but do not raise them. I have lived for 20 years listening to people's opinions about my character, my life. I always asked for His help and He got me through it all with an appreciative heart and new perspecitive on life.
When I posted this thought, it was like a breath of fresh air for me. When Jesus walked this Earth as a human, it was Joseph that raised him. God could not walk this Earth himself and sent Joseph to Mary to comfort her, help her and raise Jesus as his own with her. As a birth mother, that is exactly what I did. I chose families to care for, love, and raise my children because I could not walk with them myself. Therefore, I see it as following in God's footsteps. You are absolutely right that raising a child yourself is noble, I am not arguing that point at all. But I was just trying to show people that birth mothers are not the evil entities that so many out there see them as. I take great comfort in the fact that God lead me to the decision to place my children for adoption and He has rewarded my heart for my courage to be able to admit that I needed help when so many would not ask for it, perhaps too ashamed or too proud to ask for help. I hope that helps you understand a little better why I would say such a thing.
I am so excited about this interview project! I wrote Heather and thanked her for such a fantastic idea, I am sure that there will be a LOT of typing going on this week! SO many points of view to read, it should be a real think tank. Again thank you for reading the post and telling me your thoughts, you obviously know your Good Book! And yes, I have read the blog of which you speak and she does have a beautiful, enlightening voice. Thank you for reminding me about her, I will have to go and see what she has been writing about!
Feel free to comment here again, I enjoyed your opinion!
My best to you!
Now see, here is where it would have been good for me to read more of your blog so I would know you where you are in the triad. Sometimes my lack of attention to detail amazes even me.
Yes, now that you have shared more on your perspective it makes more sense and I see how you could come at it that way. I'm sorry peole have villified you for your decision. That's something I've never been able to understand. In honesty, my heart is for family preservation when it is possible. However, I also honor the choices of women who have decided placing their child is the best decision.
Thanks for explaining more of your thoughts. I understand better now where you were coming from.
Blessings :)
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