Month: September 2022

In previous notes I have shared about the adoption of your mother. Hopefully, it has given you a snapshot of how she has impacted our lives. I am happy to have an opportunity to share a little more in depth about the situation and circumstances leading to her adoption and how it felt when she became our daughter.

Your Grandmother and I were married in July of 1979. She had two more years of undergraduate school and I had one more year of Seminary. When she graduated, we moved to Jacksonville in June of 1981 to serve part time on the staff of Lakewood UMC and to further our ministry to youth and young adults as we developed Cross and Crown Ministries. Sassy was 22 and I was 28, so we were not in a big hurry to begin a family, but by 1985 we were ready. It was not a simple process for us. After two years we realized we should seek some medical advice. Not to go any to any great detail, but after two years our chances of getting pregnant seemed to be very slim. Around 1989, we began to consider adoption while we were still going through infertility treatments. As we learned more about adoption, it seemed as daunting as our futile efforts at getting pregnant. 

These were dark and sad years for us! We sat on the sidelines as we celebrated the birth of our family and friends children! Probably the happiest and hardest days for me were baptizing the babies of families and friends. Your grandmother and I grew very close during those days. There was a point; we even started to become resolved to the fact we were just called to be aunts and uncles, God parents to friend’schildren and to continue to minister to the lives of teenagers and young adults. During the process, we never lost our faith in a loving God and learned a lot about trusting God. Up until then, it had been pretty easy to trust God. Things had been going pretty well. Real faith comes when you have to walk in darkness, through hopelessness and helplessness.

Through God’s providence, we received a call from an attorney friend who had adopted his first two children. We had mentioned to him our interest in adoption a year earlier, but nothing had materialized. We were surprised to receive his call informing us a woman had expressed her interest in putting her unborn child up for adoption and he remembered our conversation.

In a few previous notes I have shared about the birth of your mother Hannah, so it might be good to go back and review those. Even though we first held her two days after she was born, legally we were not her parents. Over the next few months we were in limbo while we went through the process of being evaluated as parents. It has always amused me how difficult it is to adopt a child. No one interviews or certifies you are able to birth a child naturally, though it probably would be a good idea. LOL! There is a waiting period during which a birth mother and biological father can actually contest the adoption reclaim a child. Those days were filled with a lot of mixed feelings of Joy and Anxiety. The real day of celebration was the day the adoption was finalized legally. Mostly family and few friends gathered together in a courtroom and declared Hannah Elizabeth Sprague was the daughter of Sandra and George Sprague. Even now I am tearing up a bit as I write this!

Six years of waiting! Six years of monthly disappointments! Six years of hopelessness! It was behind us! A new journey started on May 23, 1991.

In the judges office.

Don Kaltenbach was our attorney.

The judge gives out these gavels to the family to symbolize that the adoption is final!

Your mom, holding the gavel September 2022. She looks pretty joyful!

This is a great opportunity for me to share something very special with you. It would seem obvious your mother is a gift to us, but I have to acknowledge the anonymous giver, her birth mother. She made a choice to be responsible for the child in her womb! She made a choice to inconvenience her life and give birth to a child for whatever reason she was not capable of parenting. She chose adoption. Let this sink in, if she had chosen to end her pregnancy, you would not be here and I would not be writing this! Even now, my heart is over flowing with gratitude for a woman who didn’t put her Rights first, but accepted her Responsibility to protect the Right for your mother to live. For you to be born.

The value system I have as a follower of Jesus and was taught and practiced by my family puts Responsibility before Rights! This is how the apostle Paul described Jesus and his relationship with Him: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:5-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus had a choice to give His life for humanity. He could have claimed His rights as the Son of God and never came to earth. Instead, He gave up His rights! He became Human, taking on the responsibility to reveal the great depth of His Father’s love for humanity. He knew there would be suffering. He knew He would be sacrificing His life. He was obedient to His Father God.

My point is, God is glorified when we give up our rights and accept the responsibility for our actions. Certainly God will forgive when we hold onto our rights and don’t act responsibly, but it certainly pleases God when we surrender to Him.

The pictures I included in this note show the joy of Sassy, your great Aunt Linda, the Judge, the attorney who arranged the adoption and me. The missing person in the pictures, made all our joy possible. She actually made you possible!

Gee Sprague, September 26, 2022

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To be totally honest, I really can’t think about any strange events in my life. There have been twists and turns, ups and downs, but all in all things have been pretty ordinary.

Now don’t get me wrong, there have been some very special events in my life, many of which could qualify as extraordinary, some even strange! Today is September 21, 2022. I am well into my 69th year of life and I am in my 5th year of retirement. Once again, I wouldn’t say there’s been anything strange about my life, but it has certainly been filled with a lot of unexpected blessings. I am at the age I now have time to reflect on my life and it has been a great blend of expected and unexcepted blessings. Actually the unexpected blessings are probably the best!

One of Jesus’ disciples, Simon Peter, reflected on his life and the impact of following Jesus and being a witness to Jesus’ resurrection. 1 Peter 2:9 King James Version 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light,..Peter describes those who follow Jesus as peculiar, we might substitute strange.

When I was young, I had a fear of being thought of as strange. I had heard people whisper, even sometimes talk loudly about the strange person in my class, grade, school, church group, team or whatever social circle that mattered to me or to which I wanted to belong. As much as possible I avoided those conversations because I was pretty sure once I was out of listening range I could be the next topic of strange or weird! Don’t get me wrong, belonging matters, but as I gained more confidence in who I was and could embrace what others thought was strange about me, I worked to make my circle as large and as inclusive as possible. It was a great life experience that certainly helped me as God called me to be a pastor.

It was a bit liberating, but also convicting when I read Peter’s words. Would following Jesus actually require me to be peculiar, strange. It was liberating to know that Jesus wasn’t whispering behind my back that I was strange. It was convicting because I was committing to follow the leader of a bunch of peculiar people. The bad news is the church is a body of peculiar people, the good news is I am one them!

As I read the letters of the Apostle Paul, I discovered another attribute of those who follow Jesus! 1 Corinthians 4:9-11 New International Version 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 

Wow, not only was I joining a group of strange people, I was also going to be thought of as a fool. Yes, I have done some foolish things, but I was not taught to be a fool. I was encouraged not to be foolish. What kind of a commitment was I making.

Let’s go back to Peter. The translation which I quoted describes the believer as Peculiar. The word can also be translated “to describe something or someone that “belongs exclusively to some person, group, or thing” or to refer to “a property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.” (Got questions.org)

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬. Maybe what makes us peculiar, strange; is as a follower of Jesus Christ we are God’s possession. We have given God the ownership of our lives. We live in a world where people think that is strange. Most people live as if they own their lives. It is peculiar, strange, maybe even foolish to confess that God is acutally the owner. It requires us to seek God’s will first, and not our own desires. Sometimes those will align, but I have learned that when they don’t, seeking God’s will and kingdom first is always more satisfying and fulfilling.
A friend once told me, we are all fools for something, whose fool are you? I committed to be a fool for Christ and as strange as that has been, there is nothing else that could have produced the wonderful fruits in my life i have enjoyed. My relationship with Jesus Christ has sometimes made me feel a bit strange and peculiar. There are some social circles where being a follower makes you strange and people will think you are foolish to surrender your life. By the time you are reading and comprehending this, the culture may even be more antagonist towards those who embrace a Biblical world view and believe in the resurrected Jesus as Savior and Lord. My prayer is that you will embrace the words of Paul : 1 Corinthians 4:9-11 New International Version 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 

So I guess the strangest thing that has happened to me was deciding to join this group of Peculiar People! I hope and pray that one day you will join! 

This is good company!

Gee Sprague, September 23, 2022

    After several weeks of being in the hospital, my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had been plagued with several health conditions, but the cancer would prove to be the most serious. After the surgeon tried to remove the cancer, he informed us it had spread to other parts of her body. What appeared to be a routine recovery led to almost a week in intensive care and when she was finally able to receive chemotherapy she was so weak, and the cancer was taking its toll.
    For almost two months I would spend at least one or two days a week in Orlando with my parents. My sister Sarah was a great care giver during that time and she was able to spend longer periods of time.
    Even in the almost 40 years since her surgery, there have been so many advancements in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this no one will be dying from it.
    She, however, would die on Wednesday June 18, 1985. We had a memorial service for her in Orlando, then a graveside service for her in Jacksonville on Friday. Saturday morning, I was exhausted. I was also mourning her death and getting up to face the day was not happening very quickly. The window in our bedroom was filled with late morning light and the sound of Saturday lawn mowing could be heard as I rolled over again and tried to ignore the reality of morning.
Outside our window, I could hear our neighbor mowing his lawn. It was getting harder to ignore the sound, because our lawn hadn’t been mowed for two weeks and I was dreading the task. Mourning creates denial. I was doing my best to delay coming back to my normal routine and was not looking forward to mowing our grass. It was the time of year grass really needs to be cut about every 5 days and mowing our two-week growth drove me into deeper mourning.
    As I listened to the symphony of mowers, blowers and trimmers I realized the sounds were really close to my house. For a while I just ignored the sounds and let them lull me back to sleep. When I finally woke up, I looked out our bedroom window and realized our lawn had been mowed. I went to our front door and as I opened it. I saw a truck pulling a trailer of yard maintenance equipment driving away. It didn’t take long to recognize it!
    Justin Landers was an enterprising teenager. He started a lawn mowing business even before he could drive, and he had built it up quite well. We had known Justin since he was in early middle school after his family joined Lakewood United Methodist Church. He was active in the youth group and sometimes he seemed to prefer hanging out with the adult counselors even more than his peers. He was a helper. After events, he often would hang around when others had left and would help with clean up and set up for the next event. In some ways, I wasn’t surprised Justin had showed up on this Saturday morning and gave our lawn an overdue haircut! It’s the kind of person he is. Even today, the remembrance of his Random Act of Kindness warms my heart and makes me glad to have a friend like Justin Landers!
    On Sunday morning, my main objective was to find Justin and to let him know how much I appreciated his act of kindness. It is currently popular to refer to this as a Random Act of Kindness. Though it is a catchy phrase, Justin’s action was not random. It was intentional! I think the use of the term Random may not be totally accurate. Humans rarely act kind randomly. It is something we have to will ourselves to do. I do believe, there is the spark of the divine in each human capable of more kindness than we actually produce. Most of us need to exercise our kindness muscle a little more.
    Maybe what people refer to as Random actually means Secret or Private.
    Here’s what Jesus has to say.
““Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:1-4 NIV
    Humanity needs more intentional acts of kindness done just because it’s how God made us to be! God’s plan for humanity was for kindness to happen naturally, I pray Jesus will be alive in your heart and you will live a life of Naturally Intentional Kindness.
    Justin graduated from college and moved away from Jacksonville. Over the years, he returns to Jacksonville, and we see other. I look forward to seeing him again and letting him know I have shared this with you!
Thanks Justin!

Gee Sprague, September 08, 2022

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    For the most part this is an easy question to answer. It would be good for you to reread week two where I shared about happy times in my life and how I view happiness. This does give me a chance to expand on one of those happy, memorable days for me.

    In week two, I shared about the adoption of your mother. This week is a great opportunity to share a little more about this period in our family’s life. After about 3-4 years of trying to get pregnant, we also began to pursue adoption as a means of having a child. Her adoption was the culminations of over 6 years of hoping to have a child in our life.

    Adoption is a tedious process. It requires a lot of paperwork and attention to detail as well as a lot of waiting and hoping. So, when your mother was born on February 13, 1991, we were starting a process which would change our life forever and would be the start of a lot of great memories. Actually, without that process, I would not be writing these notes!

    When your mother was released from the hospital, your grandmother and I were waiting in the office of our attorney who had arranged and facilitated the adoption. As we sat there, our anticipation and excitement were growing. A knock came on the door and the attorney’s assistant entered with a beautiful baby girl bundled in a pink blanket. We stood as she entered the room, and she placed her in my arms. The rest of the day was quite a blur. We were surrounded by family and friends who would help us celebrate and begin our great adventure. My father was there that day as well as Sassy’s parents and all of her family. It was a day we will remember and celebrate forever!

    It may have been later in the day or possibly a few years later when I remembered an interesting thing about it which has some great significance in my life. Your mother was placed in my arms first? I don’t think this was intentional. It was probably because I was closest to the door. Over the years I have thought about the irony, I held her first and not your grandmother. She was certainly more qualified to hold a newborn (I am sorry if this is continuing antiquated parenting roles, but in our world, it was the truth)! Though your mother and I share a great bond, she and your grandmother share so much more. Sometimes I am a bit jealous! I was, however, the first to hold her! I know, it’s not a contest! It’s just a happy moment we always will treasure. I would still be happy if your grandmother held her first, but I cherish the moment and I have learned from it!

Your mother was a great gift to us, no matter who held her first. By the way, You are a great gift as well!

    Here are a few things I have learned from that day and hope you will always remember.

    The best gifts are undeserved. I didn’t deserve to hold your mother first. I was the least deserving, but as undeserving as I was, I was given a gift! I didn’t earn it; she was a gift. It is the way God’s love is. There is nothing we could ever do to earn or deserve God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Keep your arms open!
    The best gifts inspire hope! As I have remembered the day throughout my life, having held her first inspired the hope that I might actually be a good father. Remembering the event inspired me to become the best father I could be. Not sure I accomplished it, but Hope increases a person’s confidence and self-belief. It gave me hope! Jesus sacrifice on the cross gives’ humanity hope. God took an amazing risk on humanity! People rejected Jesus and still do, yet God still gave, and Jesus was obedient! The fact God would let his only Son die on a Cross for my sin and brokenness builds hope in me. What a risk God took! His gift still inspires hope in humanity! Keep your arms open!

    The best gifts are eternal! You will receive a lot of gifts in your life. Most, however, will only be temporary. Without that day, you wouldn’t be here! Every event that led to your mother’s adoption has been a part of God’s larger plan and only God knows the final outcome. Don’t settle for the temporary! Keep your eye on the eternal. Always trust God’s eternal plan is probably better than the temporary plan you are making! Keep your arms open!

    Finally, all of Life is a gift. Even unexpected and unplanned things may become your best gifts.
Celebrate the gifts you are given! Celebrate the gifts others receive! Keep your arms open!

-John 3:16 NRSV Updated Edition 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Gee Sprague, September 01, 2022

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