I was born an orphan. It’s not something I think about very often. Perhaps I take it all for granted. Or perhaps the distance of time has softened its reality.

Yes, I had a father, but I use that term lightly. My father was abusive. He didn’t love me; he didn’t care for me; he only sought my destruction. And sadly, as a young child, I picked up many of his tendencies. Selfishness. Deception. Self-destruction. I was, in every sense of the word, abandoned.

And then, at a very young age, I was adopted. I can’t pinpoint the exact date, even though I’ve tried. But at the end of the day, the exact date doesn’t really matter all that much. All I know is I was adopted.

In one miraculous moment my reality went from abandonment and abuse to love and compassion. A love and compassion I had never felt or experienced before. In one amazing instance, I become a true son with a new Father and a new family and a new reality. I was adopted.

What I’m describing here is not adoption as we typically think about it. On one hand, I was never an orphan. I have always had wonderful earthly parents.

No, what I’m describing here is the spiritual reality of every person who calls himself a Christian. All of us, by nature, are sons and daughters of Satan (Ephesians 2:2-3). He is an abusive father who seeks only our destruction. But God, in His infinite mercy, adopted us through His Son, Jesus (Ephesians 1:5). We have been brought into Christ’s family. We have been given His Name, a place at His table, and a part in His inheritance. And this beautiful and glorious heavenly blessing has necessary ramifications on how we live on earth. This heavenly blessing prompted James to write, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27).

For our family in particular, this amazing blessing has prompted us to begin a journey of earthly adoption. This journey began as a discussion more than a decade ago, before Cami and I were ever married. A discussion that continued throughout our engagement, the early years of our marriage, the birth of our first child, and the birth of our second child. And a discussion that bloomed into concrete steps in the summer of 2015.

It was then that we began working with Lifeline Children’s Services to adopt two children under the age of four from the country of Kyrgyzstan, a country gripped by Islam and the specter of the former Soviet Union. Since then we have spent countless hours discussing, praying, researching, completing paperwork, and sharing about our journey with others.

And now, we continue to wait on our Lord. All of our necessary documentation is in Kyrgyzstan and has been there since February. Our program coordinator has indicated that obtaining referrals for Kyrgyz children is taking longer than expected, but we are fully content to wait, not merely on the Kyrgyz government, but on our sovereign God. And not merely on a God who is sovereign, but on a God who is the “Father of the fatherless” (Psalms 68:5).

We know that this journey will be far more arduous than we expect. Our original father, Satan, hates adoption. But we also know that the love of our Heavenly Father for adoption overwhelmingly outweighs the hatred of the Evil One. And we know this because our adoption was secured by something of infinite value: the blood of God’s Beloved Son. And so, as in all things, we rest in that. We rest in the finished work of Jesus, our brother. We rest in the eternal affection of God, our Father. And we hope and pray that one day soon God will open up the doors and bring two beautiful Kyrgyz children into our family.

Gregory Ginn was born and raised in Sacramento, California. He is married to Cami, and together they have two beautiful daughters ages 4 and 2. He grew up at Chinese Grace Bible Church and is currently the Lead Pastor at Littlerock Community Fellowship in Olympia, Washington. He is a graduate of UCLA and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In his non-existent spare time, Greg enjoys keeping up with his favorite sports teams (the Sacramento Kings and the UCLA Bruins), reading, and cooking.