I saw the movie Lion recently. It is a powerful telling of a true story about a little boy in India who gets separated from his family and transported on a train across the country, ending up 1,000 miles from his family. When he finally got off the train he was alone on the streets of a big city, sleeping on cardboard, hungry and vulnerable. I knew the story eventually ended well but I was still having trouble watching the parts where the little boy was all alone on the streets. I found myself holding back tears as I was watching this little boy by himself in a scary city, starving for food, starving for protection, starving for love. I was watching it and thinking, “Please hurry up and get to the part where he gets adopted.”

Some of the emotion I felt was because I know not every kid’s story ends well. In India, Brazil and Uganda I’ve seen kids like the one in the movie. Their faces are etched on my mind and heart forever. When I get tempted to foolishly think I have it rough I remember them. I wish I could do more to change their lives.

My emotion over watching that boy was not just because I felt compassion for ones like him, but I also can relate to him. I’m a literal orphan and without Jesus I would be a spiritual orphan, alone in a scary world. The little boy thought he could fend for himself and protect himself, but he was totally unaware of the danger and unwilling to admit his weakness. That’s me so often: thinking I can make it on my own, not wanting to admit my need. I need God’s protection. I need Him to take care of me. I’m a grown man who lives in a secure house with more food than I need, but deep down I’m a little boy who needs to be adopted, cared for and loved by the Heavenly Father.

It was a such a great scene in the movie when the boy finally got adopted. His parents chose him. They wanted him so they could love him and make him their very own. It’s an even better scene when we get adopted. The Lord wants us. “For he chose us … In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Ephesians 1:4-5). It’s His pleasure and will to have us in His forever family.

I was longing for the adoption scene in the movie to hurry up and happen. I am so thankful the adoption scene in life in which the Lord adopted me has already happened. I hope that adoption scene has happened in your life as well.