My Inheritance

Our family just finalized our second adoption. 

The final adoption hearing is pretty formal. Complete with a lawyer, a judge, a bailiff and a courtroom full of family and friends. 4 years ago we adopted for the first time and although they were in different counties, the formalities were the same.

There is one point in the hearing that both times has made my husband and I chuckle, and it really isn’t an occasion to chuckle.

Our attorney asks us if we understand what this adoption means. Do we understand that after today we are responsible for our son’s physical and material needs? Do we understand that after today we are to take care of our son as though he was biologically ours?

Do we understand that our son, after today will be entitled to our inheritance, just like our biological children?

This is where we chuckle. Our inheritance? My husband and I are both ministers and are blessed with what we have but by no means have a HUGE inheritance to leave our now 6 children, so we smile and chuckle. And then I started to really think about what my inheritance is.

Inheritance is described as a noun, a thing that is inherited or the action of inheriting. Honestly, I have always thought of money as an inheritance, but it is so much more.

I may not have a huge monetary inheritance to leave my children, but I am leaving them, My inheritance.

My biological children, my stepchildren, and my adopted children are all entitled to my inheritance. So what is my legacy? What is my endowment? What is my provision? What am I leaving for my children?

What are you leaving for your children? Is it money? Or something so much more important?

My inheritance is my faith in Jesus Christ. My inheritance is my morals and values. My inheritance is my love for the church. My inheritance is my love for my family. My inheritance is my work ethic. My inheritance is my humor. My inheritance is my bluntness. My inheritance is my love for words and crafting them into something bigger. My inheritance is the lessons that I teach my children. My inheritance is the words I say. My inheritance is the things I do.

These are nothing to chuckle at, and although my children may not get a huge monetary inheritance (or anything at all), I am leaving them a legacy, an endowment, and a provision – and that goes much further in this life than money.