Christian Living

My Dual Adoption

by paul hoffmaster
10/19/25
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The day after I was born, I was chosen to be part of a family to which I had no biological or genetic ties.  From rejection to acceptance, I was adopted into a loving family.  My birth would bring a sense of security, purpose, and self-realization of who I was and to whom I belonged.   It was through my parents' love, devotion, and commitment to God that enabled them to take a day-old baby and bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  It was through their unwavering faith and discipline that I became who I am today.  Godly parents are the conduit by which God’s Word flows into the child.  The spiritual welfare of a child is directly correlated to the involvement of the parents. (Proverbs 22:6)  Through the relentless prayers and teachings of my mother and father, I experienced God’s love.

  My horizontal adoption paved the way to another adoption, which transcended everything that I had ever experienced.  GOD WANTED TO ADOPT ME!  No matter how wonderful my life had become, there was a “sin seed” within me that, if not eradicated, would be fatal.  Through God’s love, He sent His Son to pay the penalty for my sins.  If I were to accept God’s invitation to receive Jesus as my Savior and Lord, the doorway to adoption would be open.  If I acknowledged my sin and asked for forgiveness, the “Adoption” would be finalized.  Needless to say, I accepted His offer.  This vertical adoption brought my life into a whole new dimension.  

The horizontal adoption offered a life of visible variables, while the vertical adoption offered a life of faithful assurances.  My parents taught me the principles of life, while God revealed how to have a principled life.  My parents surrounded me with love, while God revealed His love.  My parents taught me through the tangibles, while God taught me through the intangibles.  My parents showed me the obvious, while God showed me the reality of what faith could produce.

As happy as I am about being physically adopted, I cannot help but be overwhelmed by my spiritual adoption.  To call God my Father fills me with unspeakable joy.  Words cannot express the joy that fills my heart when I think of the eternal family of which I am a part.  My horizontal adoption (Romans 8:15) has caused all fear, anxiety, depression, worry, doubt, and anguish, and all the negatives of life to vacate my reasoning mind.

During my growth pattern as a horizontal adoptee, I learned the importance of expressing my gratitude to my parents for all they had done and were doing in my life.  Now that they are gone, all I have is my memory bank, which is filled with good memories.  (If your parents are still alive, treasure the moments together, for the time will come when you will no longer have them.)  As a vertical adoptee, my relationship with my Heavenly Father is never-ending!  I praise Him daily for what He has done, and is doing, and will continue to do in my life!  The God of creation is my Father, who adopted me through the sacrifice of Jesus.  WOW!!!