This is a story of adoption - eternal spiritual adoption and adoption in the here and now.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15 NLT

Today we hear from my friend Melissa living in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Melissa experienced a lot of trauma and brokenness as a young child, including sexual abuse from her great grandfather, an elder in the church. She bravely shares of the deep impact of the abuse. Even in her hardest moments, God never left Melissa's side.

As a teenager, she was taken in by a friend’s family which set her on a new track and gave her a vision for foster care and adoption. God is healing and redeeming Melissa and her family for generations to come.

I was so encouraged by the redemptive work in Melissa’s life and how God has used her trauma from the past to bring life to those around her.

I hope you are encouraged by Melissa’s story too.