One day last month, my oldest son arrived on an inbound Megabus. After breakfast on the final full day of his visit, I asked, “Do you want to relax at home today or go do something?”

“I could do something. Like what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe stop in at the animal shelter?”

“Okay, let’s do that.”

Moments later he was calling his landlord to ask if it was alright to adopt a cat. (The rental contract said clearly that no pets were allowed.)

“Yes, of course,” his cheerful landlord replied, “It’s your home!”

Well okay then, the landlord doesn’t abide by his own rental contract. So off we went to the local shelter.

It required all of two seconds for my son to spot his cat. Of the twenty or so felines in the cat room, only two were awake — the rest curled in cozy nooks and crannies, or sprawled on platforms and kitty trees, napping.

In the time it took me to pick up the other wakeful kitty and snuggle her under my chin, my son and his cat were already getting down to business:  Pictures were taken and sent to his girlfriend. Approval from her was promptly received. Forms were filled out. An interview was completed. The adoption fee was paid.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The shelter staff had named the big guy Pronto. It turned out that pronto exactly described his adoption.

A carrier was loaned to us by the awesome shelter people. Pronto was put in it for the short car ride to my house, and again the next day for the longer trip to his permanent home.

In his new digs — a spacious, sunny, third-floor apartment in the city — Pronto took a brief tour, spotted a room bathed in sunlight, jumped on the bed, groomed for a bit, and fell into a peaceful “I’ve always lived here” slumber. He was still there several hours later when I left for home.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I am told Pronto is now called Lil’ Big Dog — LBD for short. He is so big his humans feel bad for the downstairs neighbors; his feet pound the floors on his frequent romps through the apartment. His impressive adaptability has continued unabated, with nary a moment of anxiety or need for an adjustment period.

He simply, instantly belonged.

Where my son and his girlfriend are in the apartment, there you will find Lil’ Big Dog. He could be alone if he wants — there are tons of great hiding places in his new home — but he likes to be at their feet or on their laps. From the second they met, they were family.

And now my point of sharing this story with you …

Did you know that God welcomes us into his family, and in the Bible it is explained as “adoption”? When you first read it in Ephesians 1, it sounds complicated, but it’s really not.

It’s as simple as my son and his girlfriend choosing Lil’ Big Dog, and Lil’ Big Dog letting himself be chosen. It’s as simple as Lil’ Big dog having the option to be alone but wanting to be at his humans’ feet or on their laps.

It’s called relationship, and we get to have it with God, the Creator of the universe. We are instantly adopted into his family and are heirs of all that is his. He chooses us. We have only to let him choose us, to accept our adoption. We have this option because of what Jesus did for us when he became a sacrifice for our sins — Jesus already paid the adoption fee.

Adoption by God happens in an instant – pronto.

It’s a simple as that.

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ – Ephesians 1

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

¹¹ In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

---

Cross references:

Heirs with Christ Romans 8:17
…16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ — if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.…

 

2 Corinthians 1:5
For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Galatians 3:29
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 4:7
So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.

Ephesians 3:6
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

Titus 3:7
so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life.