^3-6Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Ephesians 1:3-6 (MSG)

This month we celebrate “the wearin’ o’ the green” where everyone joins in with the observance of St. Patrick’s Day. Those who are Irish are especially proud of this fact on this holiday…parades, parties and other observances. It is commonly thought that everyone has a “drop of Irish” in them and on this day, everyone gets to enjoy the merriment.

Many come from families where they can trace their ancestors back for generations, and they know their ethnicity and beginnings. Some folks take great pride in becoming very skilled at tracking down information about their legacy while others don’t care and simply figure that they are who they are. Others, like me, cannot trace their heritage—at least in part—because of death, being orphaned or adopted, or simply the loss of the information down through the years.

Sometimes it is blessing not to know ones’ heritage, and sometimes not knowing can cause some real difficulties. God’s plan is frequently a mystery but His wisdom is usually evident in most situations, as is shown in my own life. You see, God removed me from an ungodly situation and placed me into a home where the entire family, indeed it seemed the whole community, loved Him.

Although my adoption was done privately, my biological father was adopted from an orphanage and there was no knowledge of his background. No medical history, no family history, no knowledge of his circumstances accompanied him when, at age 14, he was adopted by my grandparents as their only child. My father’s parents loved the Lord and honored Him all the days of their lives.

My grandparents helped establish a local church that continues to this day. They contributed faithfully to a worldwide mission that has expanded more and more, surely beyond their furthest imaginations and today can be found on the Internet. In spite of the lack of facts about my father, their Godly legacy has been passed on to me, and this is a heritage for which I am very thankful.

My biological mother’s family has a Godly legacy, including a circuit riding preacher. My beloved uncle continues to this day in faithful service at his church at age 89 by working in the church rose garden, folding bulletins, and working at the yearly charity garage sale. He and my grandparents carried me and my younger sister into church long before we could walk up them ourselves and well before we could remember what was taught there. Somehow their faithfulness has carried through to us though nearly all of them have now gone on to worship in His presence.

In the Old Testament, God made covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to which He is still faithful. King David received some of the greatest promises of God, in spite of some of the seemingly most horrendous sins—murder and adultery. To this day, God shows His faithfulness to David with the life of His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of all promises made to all mankind.

God, who knows us and all of our days before we are ever born, chooses us. In His Word, He promises that those who love and serve Him. Deuteronomy 5:10 says, “He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations.” (MSG) He removes us from ungodly situations and places us in situations where we can grow and walk with Him.

The scripture above is one I remember my dad speaking of often. You see, my dad always said that just as God the Father adopted you and me through His Son, Jesus Christ, to become equal heirs with His Son, he (my dad) had adopted seven of his children and we were (are) all equal heirs with his two biological daughters. My dad really means that to this day. It is something that means so much to me—that my dad takes this Biblical concept to heart and that he has chosen to practice it in my life.

The adoption by my parents has been a lifelong picture to me of the love of God for me through His Son. It has taken most of my life to see the picture and to even begin to appreciate a small part of it. To see how God loves us in spite of our sin, how He lovingly raises us and helps us grow has been demonstrated over and over by my parents as they took a wounded little girl and forgave the hurtful things she said and did, even as an adult. Somehow each of us kids has, at one time or another, thought we were the worst, but my parents have always prayed for us and loved us, in spite of us!

God’s faithfulness is so apparent in my own life that it gives me hope for the coming generations. You see, it is plain that God knew my heart would be hungry for Him, so He separated me from biological parents who would not follow Him, and placed me with parents and an extended family who would. To see them even today, faithfully serving God and living lives of integrity is a quiet joy that I cherish in my heart and always will.

Although I am now a mother and a grandmother, I know that God will care for my family and keep His covenant (promises) for a “thousand generations.” One of the greatest promises we have is that of God’s faithfulness to the generations—even though those generations are sometimes interrupted. “And he remembers, remembers his Covenant— for a thousand generations he’s been as good as his word.” Psalm 105:7 (MSG)

Often I worry that I didn’t parent enough or in the exact right ways, or, especially, in all of God’s ways. But as I see my children growing up and turning to Him when they are lonely or in need, I am reminded of God’s promises and His faithfulness. My prayers are that my children, grandchildren—both born and unborn—and the generations to come, will know and always follow God, even though my generation was “interrupted.”

Desirée L.M. Pheister is a wife, mother, and grandmother. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, needlework, and looking for ways to bless others. You may reach her at: marrion8955@yahoo.com