So many people in situations like mine never get a good dad. That’s tragic, but it’s not the biggest tragedy. That would be to neglect the love of the Father.

The Bible verses I’ve, well, adopted as my own are:

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
This is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families;
He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. —Psalm 68:5–6

Through Christ, we have a much larger family than we could have dreamed of. We gain brothers and sisters in every corner of the globe, and in every generation past, present, and future. We gain a full welcome into God’s family, and a new purpose statement:

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10

Welcome to the family.