Kathy Hilllman: Chosen, loved, adopted—forever!

Adults, teens, children, preschoolers and infants crowded into the usually quiet courtrooms of Baylor University’s Law School. Soon tears of excitement, cries of laughter and shouts oKathy Hilllmanf joy echoed down the halls as moms and dads emerged with new sons and daughters in tow. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends followed, sporting big smiles and misty eyes.

Chosen, loved, adopted—forever!

This single National Adoption Day celebration Nov. 22 in Waco saw 25 girls and boys realize their dreams in 14 forever families. Their new mothers and fathers finally breathed sighs of release as the children for whom they prayed became eternally theirs. In a twinkling, our daughter Holly and her husband, Kevin, became parents for the first time.

I was deeply honored and humbled to be elected as president of Texas Baptists in Waco Monday, Nov. 17, and pledge by God’s grace and guidance to serve with all my heart and all my gifts. But I was even more honored and humbled when my husband, John, and I instantly moved from being “Kitty” and “Papa John” to Sawyer (6), Tucker (4) and Chandler (1) Hillman to becoming abuelita and abuelito to Gilbert Marshall (12), Gabriel Michael (11), Talia Kate (9) and Geoffrey Mitchell (7) Smith in that courtroom.

Chosen, loved, adopted—forever!

National Adoption Day was founded to raise awareness of more than 100,000 children in foster care in the United States waiting to find permanent, loving families. Each year, about 26,000 of them will age out of the system without ever having been placed. On National Adoption Day 2014 in Abilene, Belton, Conroe, Fort Worth, Galveston, Midland, Tyler and other cities across Texas and the nation, communities held similar events using such themes as “Yellow Brick Road,” “There’s No Place Like Home” and “Adoptable Me,” a take-off on “Despicable Me.”

According to the Adoption Exchange Program, 28,883 children live in foster care in Texas. About 10,768 of these boys and girls are waiting for adoptive families. Through foster care, adoption and children’s homes, Texas Baptists help. Last year, Baptist Child & Family Services touched more than 16,658 individuals. Children at Heart Ministries assisted nearly 15,500. South Texas Children’s Home Ministries helped almost 20,000 and Buckner Children & Family Services ministered to countless others in Texas and around the world.

Chosen, loved, adopted—forever!

But aren’t we all chosen, loved, adopted—forever by our Heavenly Father? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) he wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son” (Ephesians 1:4-6).

This Thanksgiving, our family will sit down with four chairs permanently added to the table. As we join hands to count our blessings, we’ll thank the Heavenly Father that Gilbert, Gabe, Tally, Geoffrey and we, too, are chosen, loved and adopted—forever.

Kathy Hillman is president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. She also is director of Baptist collections, library advancement and the Keston Center for Religion, Politics and Society at Baylor University.