May 01 2025 Have you been adopted?
Happy Mother’s Day to all the women who are daily intentionally making disciples…beginning with their own kids. And to all the spiritual mothers––Happy Mother’s Day to you! May the time, prayer, and wisdom you invest in the next generation be a great reward waiting for you in heaven!
Warmly,
John
Adopted by God (by Punky Tolson)
I remember exactly where I was sitting, a few decades ago, on the day Psalm 27:10 struck my heart, “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.” Now, my parents did not forsake me. Not at all. But I remember looking at that verse and thinking—they didn’t forsake me, but they also didn’t teach me spiritual truths I wish I had learned as a kid.
I shared my story here and here of grace and healing as my mother and father did the best they could with what they knew. I also knew they couldn’t go back and reparent me (nor did I desire that!) so what was I to do? That’s when I realized—The Lord will take me in (or adopt me). God is the only one who can reparent and reprogram me with what I wished I knew. He will redeem the forsaken areas from my childhood, and he will redeem the parts of me that need healing, maturity, and completion.
It only takes one person to turn the family line around.
Long before I met John, as I was studying nations and descendants in the scriptures, I began looking at my own family line. I went back to my great-grandmothers on both sides but mostly focused on my mom’s side. As I was writing down things I remembered and observed, a pattern emerged—I noticed a family line of domineering women (Genesis 3:16). It hit me like a ton of bricks.
My first thought was, “Hey, I’m next, unless I get this thing right.” I was not very far along in my faith at that point in my life, but the Holy Spirit had opened my eyes. That’s when I asked the Lord to reparent me and reprogram me. The Lord began showing me in scripture what it looks like to be a Godly woman, a Godly wife, and a Godly mother. I wanted to stop the generational iniquity of control, manipulation, and domination first in myself, and then in others who may come after me. I praise God that the hope of Christ and His redemptive nature grabbed a hold me!
God is in the business of redemption!
I know, I know—this is an unusual “Mother’s Day” message. But I encourage you to stop, look and listen—really pay attention to what the Holy Spirit prompts in your heart when you read God’s word. It is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). It shows us where to go. God’s Word shows us what’s going on in us. Read Psalm 139:23-24 and ask God to make you aware of any area of your life, your family line, that needs to be reparented or reprogrammed by him.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
–Psalm 139:23-24
Happy Mother’s Day!
xo-P❤️