The following was reported by "WESTERN MORNING NEWS" in 1994:

Ian Lewis, 43, of Standish, Lancashire, England, was interested in finding out about his family. He spent 30 years tracing his family tree back to the seventeenth century. He traveled all over Britain, talked to 2,000 relatives and planned to write a book about how his great-grandfather left to seek his fortune in Russia and how his grandfather was expelled after the Revolution. Then he found out he had been adopted when he was a month old and his real name was David Thornton. He resolved to start his family research all over again.

How frustrating for Ian! However, it reminds me that for a Christian, it makes no difference whether we trace our spiritual lineage by way of birth or adoption because both images are used to express our relationship to God our Father. (In addition, I believe most of us would tell Ian that it is not our strict biological lineage that determines our family identity, but our spiritual and emotional connection to family.)

Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:5 NLT)His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. (Ephesians 1:5)

What a privilege!
God is our Father by (re)birth and by adoption — we are both born and chosen into God's family! What a privilege to be a part of His family and share in such a rich inheritance!