Adoption Stories

Ephesians 1:5: “He decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.” (The Message Bible)

One of the most beautiful and humbling aspects of the verse from Ephesians is the way it reveals the heart of God: “He decided in advance to adopt us.” The word advance has always captured my heart. When I looked up its meaning in The Oxford Languages Dictionary, I found that it means “done, sent, or supplied beforehand.” It struck me that before time began, before we even knew how to call out to Him, God had already chosen us. He made the decision to adopt us into His family long before we could ever understand the depth of His love. There was no hesitation, no waiting for us to get things right—just an unconditional love that chose us before we even existed.

As I reflect on my own life, I often say that I’ve been adopted twice. The first adoption took place when I was just seven years old. In that moment, I invited Jesus into my heart, and God, with His never-ending love, welcomed me into His eternal family. It was the most sacred of adoptions—one that marked me forever as His child, bound to Him by grace, not by anything I could do to deserve it. But God’s love didn’t stop there. Two years later, at the age of nine, I was adopted by my parents, Bill and MaryBeth Ott, who brought me into their family and into their hearts. Through their love, I received a new home, new siblings, and the gift of belonging.

Adoption, both divine and earthly, is a powerful picture of God’s heart for us. It speaks to His unmerited love, His commitment to us, and His heart of redemption. Adoption is a reflection of His desire to bring us into His fold, to make us His own despite our imperfections, to call us beloved, to offer us a place at His table. I am so grateful for the ways God has woven this story into my life, and I’ve invited my parents, Bill and MaryBeth Ott, to share their own story of adoption. Along with them, my dear friend and sister in Christ, Jackelyn, has graciously agreed to share her journey of adopting her niece and nephew. Each of their stories is a testament to the boundless love of God and the beautiful gift of family—an echo of the grace that has been lavished on us.

Bill and MaryBeth Ott’s Adoption Story (as told by Bill):

“Our adoption story began as a desire in Mary Beth's heart. As we prayed about this as a couple, it seemed that at every turn, someone was talking about adoption! A family from church adopted a son from Ukraine, and the seed was planted for us to do the same. Our initial plan was to adopt a preschool-age boy younger than our two biological daughters. But God—He had a different plan! As we were looking through picture albums in the adoption center in Kiev, the Lord kept drawing us back to a picture of a 9-year-old girl named Oksana. She captured our hearts before we even met her.

The journey that followed was filled with both joys and challenges. But God—He was there every step of the way. He has performed so many miracles throughout Oksana's life. Here is one example that comes to mind: The first time Oksana attended church with us in America, she was nervously clutching her Barbie doll. We just "happened" to have a visiting worship leader from Ukraine at our church that morning. He sang some songs in Russian, and Oksana immediately looked at ease as she sang and danced along.

God is so good. To the only wise God, our Savior, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen!”

The Ott Family

Jackelyn Casmey’s story:

"In 2014 my brother called me to tell me he was having a baby with his girlfriend. They were both active drug addicts, and I cried. I cried because I was single and had PCOS and I felt it was so unfair that I was single and childless while living a life devoted to Jesus and service to his people. On December 4the 2014 my daughter was born. I went to the hospital and held my then niece, and heard the Holy Spirit speak to me in his still small voice, “This is your daughter.” From that moment, I knew she was mine. Shortly after she was born I moved to Africa as a missionary, trusting God and believing that he would fulfill his promise about my daughter. I didn’t know how or when, but I knew that God was going to put her in my care.

In October of 2015 while still living in Africa, my brother called me to beg me to come home and adopt his children. He and his girlfriend had broken up, but not before creating a little boy who would be my son. He had been born 6 weeks early, addicted to methamphetamines, and sub- 5 pounds. CPS had taken the children from the mom and they were placed in foster care. I returned home in December 2015, and at that point wasn’t able to adopt the children, but I knew my God was faithful. I kept serving God, serving my church, and serving God’s people. It would be 5 years before God opened the door for me to legally adopt them. On November 13,2020 the month that happens to be National Adoption Month, my children finally became mine."

I hope that these stories have touched your hearts and given you a glimpse into how adoption reflects the very heart of our Heavenly Father—His love, His redemption, and His desire to bring us into His family. Adoption is a beautiful picture of His grace, and I pray that these experiences have inspired and encouraged you in some way.

I would love to hear your thoughts and reflections! Your comments mean so much, and I look forward to sharing in this journey together.

For His Glory,

Oksana Nicole