Being adopted

This weekend I spent time with my family...both of them. The first I've known all my life. 2 eccentric second cousins (every family seems to have those...they remind me of the sisters from the Simpons.) , an aunt, my parents, my younger brother and his fiance. The adults sit around their brandy old fashions and talk about older relatives I don't know or complain about inflation, politics, and money. It's a small family with mostly older relatives, my brother and I are the youngest and pretty much the only ones left. I love them. However, I am blown away by the differences between this family and my other family, so to speak.

2 days later I went to visit my birth mom. I'm adopted and 2 years ago I met my birth mom and in turn, a populus, energetic bunch of uncles, cousins, half brothers, nieces and nephews. I went over and was greeted by the four cutest kids yelling "AUNT BETH!" and running around. We ran around, tickled, and they told me how school was going. I talked with my sister in law who told me that she decided to begin following Jesus (wow!) and wanted to share in this together with me. Maureen (birth mom) gave me a long hug and she asked me if I wanted to meet some of her friends from highschool. We went to a dive Mexican bar (great food and cheap margaritas) where her five friends proceeded to stare at Maureen..then at me, then back at Maureen, then back at me.. then hug us, and then ask us to tell the story of how we met, then exclaim how we should be on Oprah (this is the reaction 80% of the time..I can almost predict it :) I find it difficult to identify words that describe the emotions associated with being adopted and then 22 years later finding your birth mom and being friends with her.My 2 families are day and night to each other.

It's a little bit of culture shock every time I visit them and see the differences. The nature versus nurture argument is still going strong within me, as I make guesses as to what quirks came from who- adoptive family or birth family.

Every time I consider this unique set of circumstances, I find myself curious about God's purpose in orchestrating my life in this way. Plucked out of one family, put into another, and then later connected to both. It's interesting. It's a little emotional. It's hard to describe.

In the meantime, I'm thankful for nieces and nephews, a new sister (and now sister in Christ), 2 tall skinny black haired half brothers, and a loving birth mom who still tears up every time we see each other.

It has been a catalyst for much thinking about God's plans with my life and who I am and what has made me that way.The way God weaves people in and out of our lives can sometimes facade as chance, but let us not be deceived. God has woven people, family, and friends into your life not by chance but by purpose. He surely has his purposes in this unique set of circumstances. He has chosen who our families will be..or will not be and there divine and good purpose in that and that may be easy or possible to really identify.

In the past 2 years I've been reminded about where my identity lies. No matter who I look like or act like, before I am a Berke and before I am Maureen's birth daughter, I am HIS. He created me, shaped me, formed me, set my life in motion, and ordained who would be woven in and out of it. He created you, shaped you, formed you, set your life in motion, and ordained who would be woven in and out of it. There's purpose in all of this. In your life, in my life, in who our families are, in who are families are not, and in who you are: your personality, your quirks, dislikes, likes, strengths, and weaknesses.

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received a Spirit of Adoption/Sonship. And by him we cry "Abba, Father" The Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." Romans 8:15

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28