The Feeling Of Gospel Being Alive

I feel this way sometimes: that the gospel is lost in our lives. Not just in my life but in a lot of people's lives. The people that I know. Whether they are Christians or not, in my church or not, in my interest group or not, but definitely in my life, I feel like that the gospel is lost most of the time.

But...

The feeling of the gospel is alive jumps in my heart when I see a friend sacrificing his or her life for another person. Recently this year, two of my friends adopted two Ethiopian deaf kids who are much older than the average adopted age. What is even more remarkable that the adopters are in their early twenties. They worked so hard to raise few tens of thousands of dollars and waited so patiently to adopt from the first day of their marriage. They even barely graduated! And the love they have for the kids are so heart-warming and I sense their agape. Their example of self-sacrificing and agape-giving is truly touching. They paint the picture that reflects the gospel.

Another friend whose parents adopted the two kids off the street. They already have five kids and all the kids already have reached the college age. When they saw two dirty kids wandering on the street, they welcomed them in the house. Somehow, these two kids had problems emotionally and mentally, and I don't know their background. But they decided to take care of the two kids as if they are their own. It's heart-warming. 

Another friend adopted her niece as her own daughter. When she got married, her husband was on board to adopt her. Her parents were drug addicts and didn't care for her at all. Her father's sister stepped in and raised her as if she was her own kid. After seven years of legal custody battle, my friend and her husband finally adopted her. They sacrifice so much for her and they love her unconditionally. 

I got adopted (metaphorically) into a family as a sister. I never have so many brothers and sisters before. The love for each other is overwhelmingly family-like. I am unconditionally loved by many including my current roommates. They are my sisters, too. In return, I want to love unconditionally as well, not just them but everyone else. One of them wants to adopt (legally).

The gospel is alive when people in Christ adopt others as their own, legally or metaphorically. Give them unconditional love and care. They put their whole lives into the others and they fight to sustain for the rest of their lives.

That's what God did and continue to do so. He adopts us as His own children by the sacrifice of His own son. When we are adopted, we change. When we get older and matured, we want to do the same for the others. 

I am sure that the kids who were adopted will grow up to be loving people who have a heart for others like their adopted parents have a heart for them. I pray that this kind of love will pass on without skipping a generation.