The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs. If you think about you don’t have to do anything to be a child. You just are someone’s child without any input on your part. St. Paul is telling us that is our story as well. We are the children of God before we do anything. Parents love their children simply because they are their children. From the first time a child is laid in her mother’s arms the child is loved — even though that child is going to make life difficult for the parents. That is how God thinks of us — loved simply for being who we are despite the “grief” we cause God!
