Emphasis Preaching Journal

Dave and Mary could not have any children. They had been to many doctors and went through considerable expense and time to see if there was any hope for them to have a baby. All of the tests came out the same: a baby of their own was not going to happen. Accepting that, they began the long process of adopting a baby. Finally, the day arrived and Jill, a seven-week-old baby became a part of their family. A couple of years later, they adopted Nathan, and their family was complete.

But things did not go according to plan. At age three, Jill began to exhibit some very anti-social behaviors. Throughout her growing years and into high school and even college, Jill continued to have a very troubled life, and Dave and Mary struggled with her. Jill was often not pleasant to be around. She often did not follow through on what she said she would do. Her relationship with Nathan was not great, for she treated him badly from time to time.

But Dave and Mary never gave up on Jill. She was part of the family. She was not a "thing" that could be tossed aside because she did not meet their expectations. She was their daughter and they loved her unconditionally. Jill still has her bad days and does not have many friends, but she has a family that will not ever let her down.