Girlfriends in God - Mar. 3, 2011

March 3, 2011  

A Dream Come True  

Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1 NIV).

Friend to Friend
Once upon a time, not so very long ago or far away, a baby girl was born to parents who could not keep her. While neither parent was willing to release her for adoption, neither was able to care for her. So while the legal system shuffled her case back and forth, the baby girl grew into a toddler in a foster home.

Her care was certainly adequate, her physical needs were met and she never went hungry. Her clothes, though not new, were never dirty. Her toys, though not her own, were always sufficient.  This little girl was not mistreated or abused, and yet, in her heart was a hollow space. She desperately wanted what she had never had - a mommy and a daddy of her very own.

As fate would have it, only a few doors down from the foster home, lived a kind couple with a teenage son. The little girl needed a family, the family wanted a little girl, and the details of a trying and lengthy adoption were settled. And while this little girl received a wonderful mommy and an adoring big brother, it was her daddy and their relationship that was extra special.

Ashley was two-years-old when she entered his life. She was thin, pale and clingy. By the time the adoption was finally complete, she was almost three. Ashley had never seen the ocean, eaten a "Happy Meal," or slept in a bed in a room of her own.

A few months after the adoption, Ashley traveled to the beach for her first family reunion. She was overwhelmed with excitement and pride. She had received so much so fast, and it was hard to take it all in. Ashley asked everyone she met if they were part of her family.

"Are you my aunt?"  "Are you my uncle?" "Are you my cousin?" She ran from person to person showering hugs and kisses on her newly acquired family. "I love you!" she told them. "I love you all!"

When her new daddy took her to McDonald's for the first time, Ashley couldn't join in with the other children who played busily on the playground equipment. She was too busy asking important questions. "Do you have a daddy? I have a daddy! See, that's my daddy over there" she exclaimed with excitement and wonder. "Isn't he wonderful?"

"What's your name?" she asked. "My name is Ashley Jordan AMBROSE - just like my daddy.  I'm named after my daddy!"

Five years later, tanned, transformed and confident, Ashley again returned to the annual family reunion. This time she brought a scrapbook of pictures to share with anyone who would sit still long enough to listen.

"This is my story," she would say. "See, this is where I lived before Mommy and Daddy adopted me.  They picked me out special. See, this is my room now - it's all my own. And these are my toys, and my own clothes, and here's a picture of my kitty, and one of my dog, and …"

Ashley has love overflowing for everyone, but no one is higher on her list than her daddy. He knows how to polish toenails, drip sandcastles, tie hair ribbons, hold her in the night - and he calls her "his little Princess."

This story, which is the opening of my latest book, 5 Dreams of Every Woman and How God Fulfills Them, was originally told by a friend of mine, Gail Montgomery about her niece. The reason it grabs my heart …every time … is because it is my story too. And girlfriend, it is your story as well. We have been adopted by a loving Heavenly Father (Ephesians 1:5, 1 John 3:1-2).  You are His little princess! And just like Ashley, I love Him so much; I just can't help but tell about Him. Who will you tell today?

Let's Pray
Abba Father, I love You.  Thank You for adopting me as Your child.  I pray I will represent our family name (Christian) as I go about my daily life today. 

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
What emotions does this story stir in your heart?

How does knowing that you are God's child affect the way you view your life and your circumstances? Let's share our ideas on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes

Whom have you told lately about Your Heavenly Daddy?

More from the Girlfriends
Today's devotion was taken from Sharon's new book, 5 Dreams of Every Woman and How God Wants to Fulfill Them (a new revised version of her previous book, Dreams of a Woman). Can you risk the hope that God still has dreams for your life? That He hasn't forgotten you?  Place your hand firmly in His-take a deep breath and begin the exciting journey to a place you thought you'd never find: the dream God planned for you all along. Let's dare to dream again!