Thoughts for the Day

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...who chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

As we get older we can expect that our parents and their siblings will die before us. Many people can't bear to think about death, and call it "losing" someone. But we haven't lost someone, they have died and gone before us, and hopefully we shall meet in some unimaginable way in the future. Then comes a time when our siblings die, and it can mean that we are the only one left - matriarch or patriarch of a family of younger generations.

In my family there are two of us left, my brother and I, and it makes the relationship even closer and the other one even more special. But in our case it's very special because my brother and his twin sister were adopted. My parents actually saw the twins and chose them to be their children. It was one of the most important things that they ever did and they loved and cared for the three of us always.

Today's readings is from Paul's letter to the Ephesians written around 60-62AD. He argued that God chose us and adopted us as his children. He saw us, He picked us out, He invited us to be His child! Because of this we can be redeemed (that is rescued from the slavery of sin) and forgiven. We just have to turn to Him and accept His offer of adoption as His child.

Heavenly Father,
we thank You that You chose us
to be Your children,
and to offer us freedom
and forgiveness.
May we turn to You each day,
confess our sin,
and accept Your love
to be a child of Your family.
Amen.