Day 25 - Who, Me???

When I was about 42 years old, I found out that my mom had placed me in a orphanage after my birth. I was shocked to find this out. You see, someone my mom knew had forced himself upon her and she ended up pregnant with me. She was a young registered nurse beginning her career, and the 50's were a time when single mothers were looked down upon. When I was six months old, she returned to the orphanage to take me home with her. She loved me unconditionally. She put together this amazing scrapbook with photographs (I think this is where my love of photography began) and clever captions to match each one. When I shared this story with my sister (not a biological sister, but someone who chose to be my sister), she beamed "Oh, that is so sweet, she came back to get you!" I angrily shot back with "She put me in an orphanage!!!"

I have wondered since then how different my life may have been living in an orphanage? Would I have been adopted or would I have remained a ward of the state until I turned 18? When I look at my childhood, I am so grateful that my mom came back for me. Not that life was picture perfect, but I had a relatively care free childhood. Mom gave me the best of everything. Just like my mom came back for me, God "came back for me" as well. 

Jeremiah 1:5 reads:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;

I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 

He knows us before we are even born....each and every one of us. He knew my mom would feel like she could not raise a child alone and place me for adoption. He also knew that she had lived in foster care most of her childhood and did not want that life for me. I remember the day that God chose me. I had been reading a book by Norman Vincent Peale called The Power of Positive Thinking. The book had scripture references throughout and since I had never read the Bible, even though my husband and I had one in our home. I grabbed the Bible and looked up the references. I remember thinking how beautiful the Scriptures were. I was invited to a revival at a small church in the town where I lived shortly after my discovery of God's Word. As we listened to the message, I could fell the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart. I did not answer the call the first night.

When I returned the next evening, I felt as though my heart was being pulled from my chest...not in a painful way, but with a sense of urgency. My heart was finally ready to accept the Lord into my heart and life. When the call was made for those who wanted to surrender their lives to Jesus, I heeded the call. I was the only person out of all 200 or so people packed into that sanctuary that came forth that evening. Yet,  was not embarrassed or scared. I felt exhilaration, relief, and peace. God chose me and I had finally chosen Him back.

You, too, are chosen. God's Word tells us in Ephesians 1:3-5:

³  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.


If you have not chosen Him yet, this is your opportunity to do so. Asking Jesus into your heart means having a relationship with Him like a marriage (A GOOD MARRIAGE...not the world's version of marriage). The end result is spending eternity with Him. He loves you so much! Am I saying all your problems will disappear when you say "YES" to Jesus Christ? Absolutely not! In fact, all hell may break lose. I experienced some very turbulent years after accepting Jesus. It occurred to me much later that God knew that I need to be saved just at the moment I was so that He could walk through those trials with me. Had I been walking that road alone, I am not sure where I would be...in jail, in a mental hospital or dead. Do I live a perfect life? No. There was only one perfect person who walked this earth and that is Jesus. I fail on a daily basis. I don't practice sin, but I manage to fall into sin more often than I want.


Lord, I thank You for my salvation. I repent for not trusting You as I should. You love me unconditionally. Help me to be a beacon of light in a dark and desperate world. Use my words to help someone today, Lord. Let them know there is hope in You.


I love you, Lord
Pamela