Orphan no more!

Here's a great article to read if you just feel 'not good enough,' 'not accepted,' alone or unloveable.  I've been fighting that fight with myself, coming out of an abusive home, trying to convince myself that I am as worthy of dignity, love, and respect, the same as any other person.  Ironically, it goes on to say that God sees us as adopted children, children!  Beloved, accepted, blessed, giving pleasure to their Father!  I'm an adoptive parent of two amazing kids, most days I forget they are adopted, they're just my kids!  I can love and accept them, but I deny myself the same right?  I'm not doomed to ignominy, leftovers, wretchedness, and pity, as my upbringing has convinced me that I am, either in a current physical sense or in my eternal destiny, why can't I wrap my head around that?

He isn't a stingy, miserly, grudging God, it is His good pleasure to give ME the kingdom, really?!  He is excited about it, like a loving parent?  Like me giving my kids stuff they need and desire?  Unlike the mother who bought me Christmas presents because it was socially prescribed and handed me the dreaded birthday present like it was some sort of illicit deal she found degrading and hoped no one would discover the truth thereof, and it was always something she wanted, never anything I had a desire, need, or use for, and then I was never allowed to play with or even look at it, it had to be safely stored in the closet because it was 'collectible.'  I feel like that sums up my whole young life: put it away in a dark corner, where it will eventually fall apart and decay, never having meaning, purpose, or value and never having any enjoyment therein.

Then there's God, and His crazy call to come out of that unwitting tomb, there's more to life than dust and shadows, despair and sorrow and shame.  He made a whole brilliant world to explore and marvel at and delight in.  He sent His only Son to pay the price of sin and rectify the world's ruin, so I don't have to.  He's surrounded me with people, interesting, warm, loving, annoying people to replace the family I never had.  And this is only the beginning, only the title page!  Me?!  The little girl whose own mother didn't love her?  A beloved daughter, a part of a family, heir to a Kingdom?!  Talk about fairy tales, this beats an enchanted frog any day!  And the door is open, shed the orphan's rags and become the child you were meant to be!