Darla Karsies shares her experience growing up as an adopted child.
I have always known that I was adopted. It was never a secret, but never presented as a weird thing either. My parents explained that God puts families together in different ways, and He put ours together through adoption.
My adoption was completely closed. I have never met my birth parents. I have no idea who they are or where they are. I'm completely okay with that. I have the family God chose for me, so I have never felt the need to find out what He rescued me from. Part of me wishes I knew what they looked like and if I have any siblings or half siblings. I also wonder about my birth grandparents once in awhile. But again, God took me out of their family for a reason, and I don't want to go digging into what He took me away from.
Sometimes it is easy to feel like I wasn't wanted or loved, but I don't know that. In fact, it might have been BECAUSE my birth family loved me that they gave me up for adoption. I am thankful that they chose to let me live. I am thankful that they gave me to an adoption agency so that I could have a life that they knew they couldn't provide. I don't know any of the circumstances surrounding my birth, so feeling sad about the unknown is pointless. Instead, I focus on the truth that I know. God protected me and placed me in the family He knew was best for me.
I love the fact that I know my real parents wanted me. They went out of their way to have home visits and spend money and time on court dates to adopt me. I wasn't a surprise to them. They intentionally chose to adopt me. Not because of anything I did. They just wanted another family member and chose me. I think that helps me picture what God does for us. He chose us. Not because of what we are worth or how we could benefit Him, but just because He loves us. He chooses us intentionally.
I can't imagine any parents loving a child any more than I know my parents love me. Sometimes people ask if my parents love me like their own. Of course they do! I AM their own! I have never questioned if they wanted me or loved me. They didn't have to buy me, but they chose to...out of love. When I was younger, I had a lot of friends who were adopted and a lot who weren't. Our parents treated all of us the same, so I always knew that my parents didn't love me any differently than they would had I been born into the family.
Working with so many children through camp and school, I have been able to share my story with several adopted children. Some of those people were struggling with a lot of security issues, and I am so thankful that I am able to truly understand their perspective and share the truth of God's love and sovereignty with them. I love being able to share verses about our identity being in Christ...it doesn't get any more secure than that!