Embracing family: How I was adopted twice

As the author of The Forgetful Prince, I am deeply connected to the themes it explores–identity, belonging, and the transformative power of being lovingly invited into God’s family through Jesus. This biblical concept of adoption ’is beautiful and complex.

I know this because I am an adopted person. In fact, I have been adopted twice! Once into the family I grew up in and once into God’s family. So my own journey was a source of inspiration for the story of The Forgetful Prince. I also wrote the story because I am a father. I want to help my children—and others—to know and respond to God’s love too.

Identity lost

In the pages of The Forgetful Prince, you’ll join Atticus, a young boy who has forgotten his true identity, but embarks on a whimsical journey of rediscovery. His adventure mirrors my own quest to understand who I am, and it’s a journey that I believe many adopted children and families can relate to.

Everyone’s experience of adoption is different. Some struggle with their adoption; they can feel a sense of lost identity, which expresses itself in a variety of ways. I too have struggled with this at times. Adopted out at just 3 weeks old and knowing very little about my biological parents was confusing. Being asked by doctors about my family's medical history, which I knew absolutely nothing about, was frustrating. Questions of 'Why give me up?', 'Who am I really?' and 'Where do I belong?' were semi-constant thoughts for me growing up.

However, my overall personal experience as an adopted individual has taught me that our earthly family is not defined solely by biology but by the bonds of love and the commitment to care deeply for one another through all of life’s joys and hardships, celebrations and disappointments. The adoption journey can be a powerful testament to love, acceptance, and the beauty of belonging.

Identity found

Yet, as I said earlier, I have been adopted twice.  At the age of 11, I was adopted into my heavenly family. God always goes to the greatest length to show us how much we are loved. This love of God was most clearly seen when he sent his one and only Son Jesus into the world to save us. Yet God went even further. God not only saved us, but he also adopted us into his family and made us heirs of his kingdom. 

This truth blows my mind every time I think about it. But in a world filled with distractions and uncertainties, it is something we can easily forget. How can we help ourselves (and our little ones) to remember their true identity?

The late great J. I. Packer would remind himself of this truth every morning and every evening, saying: 

‘I am a child of God,
heaven is my home,
God is my Father,
Jesus is my Saviour and my brother, 
and every Christian is my brother [or sister] too!’

What a powerful thing to remind ourselves of each day. How wonderfully comforting it is for us—and our little ones—to know that we are children of God, adopted into his family and loved unconditionally  by our good heavenly Father.

Identity shared

When you read this little tale of The Forgetful Prince you’ll hopefully be reminded of some of these truths as well. My prayer is you will come to see it is a story you can share in too.

First and foremost, it is an invitation for you to accept God’s loving invitation into his family. 

But my hope is that it will also be an invitation to consider foster care and adoption. The love we have ceived from our heavenly Father is a love that should overflow into the lives of others.  In the Bible, God’s heart for orphans and vulnerable children is clear. God declares himself to be a ‘father to the fatherless’ (Psalm 68:5) and works to care for the vulnerable (Deuteronomy 10:18). We are encouraged to do likewise (James 1:27). Foster care is one way to show God’s love in action.

Within the pages of The Forgetful Prince, you’ll find eternal echoes of the important work that organisations like Anglicare Sydney do every day. They walk side-by-side with people exploring the possibility of fostering—providing loving homes, support and care to children in need, helping them find their place in this world. This is an earthly reflection of the way that God offers us a place in his heavenly family.

By reading The Forgetful Prince with your children, you will open the door to everyday conversations about the abundance of God’s eternal gifts, the value of belonging to God’s family, and the incredible reality of God’s adoptive love for his children.

But you may also be able to open up a conversation about the possibility of foster care through an organisation like Anglicare Sydney. Your family could be the loving home that a child has been waiting for.

The Forgetful Prince reminds children and adults alike of the boundless love of God and the transformative power of adoption. In partnership with organisations like Anglicare Sydney, we also have the opportunity not just to ‘love with words or speech but with actions and in truth’ (1 John 3:18). Foster care is one way that we can make a lasting impact in the lives of children in need. As we embrace the journey of adoption, both spiritual and earthly, may we continue to shine the light of God’s love into the world, one story—and one child—at a time.
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Every week, Anglicare Sydney receives more than 100 requests to provide a safe home for a child in crisis. For more information, head to Anglicare Sydney's website.
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Matt Redmond is the author of The Forgetful Prince and his wife, Lauren, is the illustrator. Together, they are navigating the beautiful, messy journey of raising kids. With a heart for storytelling and a passion for faith, they hope to inspire other families to cultivate deep, meaningful relationships in creative ways. Connect with them and read more about The Forgetful Prince here.

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