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His name is Michael Reagan, one day his phone rang: I answered the phone. It was Cameron’s third-grade teacher. “Mr. Reagan,” she said, “did Cameron talk to you about a problem he’s having in school?” “No,” I said. “What problem is that?” “I haven’t been able to get the whole story from him. I was hoping you’d know what was troubling him.” “Where is he now?” “On the front steps of the school-crying.” “I’ll be right there.” With that, Michael Reagan hurried over to his son Cameron’s school and found Cameron on the steps, crying his eyes out. I sat down beside him and said, “Son, what’s wrong?” “Daddy,” he said, “Is Grandpa really my grandpa?” “Of course he is,” I said. “Why do you ask?” He looked down at his shoes. “Because one of the kids told me you’re adopted. And if you’re adopted, you’re not really Grandpa’s son. And if you’re not really his son, then Grandpa’s not really my grandpa.” Those words went through me like a spear, hitting me in one of my most vulnerable places: my adoption. Some school-yard bully had figured out that he could make himself bigger by taking a piece of Cameron’s identity from him-and a piece of mine. It was the same message that hurt me so many times over the years: “You’re the adopted son of Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, not the 'real' son. Adopted means second-class, not as good, not quite a full-fledged member of the family. Remember Mike, it’s DNA that really counts-not relationship, not love".... “Cameron,” I said, “I was adopted into the Reagan family, and the Reagan family is my family. President Reagan is my father and your Grandpa. You are the grandson of the President and part of this family just like I am.” I pointed toward a man wearing a dark suit and sunglasses. “If you weren’t the grandson of the President, you wouldn’t have Secret Service agents around you all the time, would you?” He looked at the agent, and then grinned at me. “I guess not.” “Now go back to your class,” I said, “and if anyone tells you that Grandpa’s not your grandpa, you just laugh. Because anyone who would say a thing like that doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” “Thank you, Daddy,” Cameron said, and he was off like a shot. The word adoption is Latin in origin and means to be chosen. In the Old and New Testament of the Bible the word “adoption” is spoken of in natural adoption, Exodus 2:10, national adoption, Deuteronomy 7:6 and Romans 9: 4-5, and spiritual adoption, John 1:12-13. I know first hand what it means to be adopted for as a child who was adopted around the age of 5, I resented when someone introduced me as my parent’s adopted son. And growing up I use to look in the mirror and wonder as I looked at myself, not because it is a part of growing up, but because I knew I was adopted, who are you? Who is that guy I see when I look in the mirror? Does he look like his biological father? Who do I look like? Genesis 1:26-28, Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over all the cattle, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiple, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” And man and woman have done as God commanded bringing human life into this world and sadly, they have instituted the institution of divorce because they don’t want to be married. Listen carefully I am pro-marriage but I am not pro-abuse and I do not believe God condones an abusive marriage. The problem though, lies in the children of divorce who so often are left looking, searching for a father figure. In turn being hesitant to reach out to God the Father for the name “Father” brings back bad memories for them. The Good News is that Abba; Father God not only loves His children but watches over them 24/7 with unconditional love and devotion. God ‘the Father’, who showed me why he made fathers recently, when Pilar and I drove down to see our daughter Andrea (where she lives in Lexington, Kentucky), before she flew out on a medical mission trip to Ecuador. The three of us went out to eat at Ruby Tuesday’s in downtown Lexington, Kentucky and were happy as we ate our meal on their outside patio that was located next to a pond. The water in the pond was crystal clear and this is not fish story. There were large fish swimming around and they would come up to the bank where we sat and you could see their mouth move as they fed and then watch their eyes blink and their fins push them away as they swam. On the surface of the water were momma and father ducks with their babies swimming. The little boy inside of me sat there in total amazement, as I had never seen a fish that clearly in the water before and the baby ducks were so adorable. Then, as the momma and father duck swam by with their baby ducks between them, the father duck stuck his head into the water and poked the fish until it moved and the family swam by. And our Father ‘Who Art In Heaven’ loves us, His children, and protects us as the father duck protected his babies. Now this doesn’t mean that we won’t do something wrong and or get in trouble, for many have the free will to decide right from wrong. Sadly, there are many in this world searching, looking, wondering as they look in the mirror at themselves wondering, “Who are you”… as they think of that man who is their earthly father and wonder, “Where is he?” Not realizing the words that the Apostle Paul wrote, Galatians 3:4-7 So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba!” “Father!” So through God you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child of God, then an heir. When I was inwardly searching for my earthly father I was full of confusion and hatred from being emotionally hurt as an orphan as I wanted a daddy and a momma and a last name and a home. I was a handful determined if you really like me you will put up with me and keep me. My anger and my search as I looked in the mirror and asked the person I was looking at, “Who are you,” ended when I accepted the truth. The truth is in the Bible for Pharaoh’s daughter adopted a Hebrew child she named Moses because he came from the water. Moses became a faithful and blessed servant of God. Physical Israel was adopted by God, not our of favoritism, but for the purpose of to be a people of God’s own possession and to belong the son-ship. In the Book of Esther a beautiful girl named Esther was adopted by her cousins after her parent’s death and Esther became a queen and God used Esther to bring deliverance to the Jewish people. WHO ARE YOU? Too God be the Glory on this Father’s day. To God be the glory for in our spiritual adoption we are His child! John 1:12-13, But to all who receive him, who believed his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. Abba, Father God we love you, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY. Let us pray, Heavenly Father we come to you on bent knees; you know our strengths and our weaknesses for you are the all knowing and the all-caring. Thank you Father God for all the things you have brought into our lives, for the special people you have brought into our lives. I ask of you at this very moment Father God to keep a special place for the earthly fathers of this world, to guide them in wisdom, to support them and encourage them as they have us children. For the earthly fathers who do not know you we pray that you Father God will touch their hearts and use a child to guide them into your loving arms. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. |
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