But for the grace of God

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This morning I encountered a comment about foster care and adoption and biological families that I had not yet heard.

“I don’t know how they could do that to their children. I guess they’re just a different kind of people than we are – they just have no conscience.“

This is so very very untrue on several levels.

Biological parents of these children are no different than we are. I mean this in two ways-first, the majority of the parents we have encountered in foster care truly do love their children. This sweeping assumption that they don’t love their kids is simply not true, nor is the assumption that the babies we have cared for have been abandoned or unwanted.

Second, these parents have made a series of terrible and damaging choices that have crippled their ability to care for their children or even for themselves. And yes, the human conscience can be utterly seared and numbed by patterns of sin. But that does not mean that they are “a different kind person“ than me. We did not foster our babies or adopt TE because we are better people – we adopted her because we are people who have BEEN adopted - out of our sin and brokenness and rebellion, Jesus transformed us and continues making us more and more like him. We are not “good people.“ The only good in us is HIM, the only good in this world is His grace.

The whole heartbeat of the gospel is that we are not “good people.” We are broken people, saved by a good and merciful Savior who is transforming us. It can sound trite but I mean it with all my heart- there, but for the grace of God, go I.

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