God’s good things
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
This verse has anchored my faith for more than two decades. I remember reading it in my childhood bedroom as I questioned what a life of faith was about. I’ve seen God work so many hard, broken things for good so I can give glory to Him. And I believe He’s still working and orchestrating and growing and mending things together for our good and His glory.
This same verse anchored Isaac Melber’s story that began in Ethiopia and included adoption by a family in Kentucky. I don’t know what it’s like to become an orphan and continue to know family loss, but I do know how adoption is relational at its core and is a beautiful picture of being welcomed into the family of God. I became a mom because of adoption (three times), and I know I’m a child of God because Jesus made that possible.
Talk about good things.
We have to walk through hard things to see the good, though. And that’s what Isaac writes about in Twice Delivered: A Story of Two Families, Two Worlds, and One Redeeming Love. He vulnerably shares how he explored an identity shaped by suffering and redeemed by grace only God can give.
As a mom, Isaac’s words encouraged me to continue to be faithful to God’s good ways for the sake of my kids. The past few years with my 16-year-old son have been hard and have challenged me in ways I just didn’t anticipate. But God has been there, and I’m grateful to have witnessed His provision and protection.
We don’t always get to see the whole picture on this side of heaven, but I’m grateful Isaac has seen and known the goodness of God and shared that in this book. His testimony will help kids who were adopted, parents who have adopted, kids who struggle with belonging, and weary parents.
I loved all the reminders about God as the conductor of our lives, providing and protecting us in ways we can’t even imagine. Isaac writes:
“He is not merely reacting to events or piecing together a plan as He goes. He is intentionally and sovereignly weaving every moment, decision, relationship, and detail into something far greater than we can imagine – something centered on His glory and His purposes. Often, this work unfolds quietly in the background while we go about our daily routines. Yet behind it all, God is directing, shaping, and ordering our steps.”
About the book
Born in a remote mountain village in Ethiopia, Isaac Melber’s life began with loss. Orphaned at a young age and placed in an orphanage, his future seemed uncertain—until a family from Kentucky crossed an ocean to bring him home. But Isaac’s story is more than an adoption story. In his debut memoir, Melber shares the raw, deeply moving journey of growing up between two worlds, wrestling with grief, identity, anger, belonging, and faith. Returning to Ethiopia thirteen years after his adoption, he confronts the questions that shaped his childhood: Who am I? Why did this happen? Where does my story fit in God’s plan? With disarming honesty and profound spiritual insight, Melber reveals how what once felt like abandonment became divine placement, how painful providences became sacred turning points, and how adoption points straight to the heart of the gospel.
Blending memoir, Scripture, and pastoral reflection, Twice Delivered: A Story of Two Families, Two Worlds, and One Redeeming Love speaks powerfully to adoptees, adoptive families, foster parents, and anyone who has ever struggled to see God’s goodness in the middle of loss. This is a story about sovereignty and suffering, about identity and redemption, about a God who wastes nothing. Adopted once into a family. Adopted again into the family of God.
This 164-page paperback book was published by Innovo Publishing LLC (May 20, 2026).
About the author
Isaac Melber is an author, speaker, and adoption advocate whose life spans two continents and two families. Born in Ethiopia and adopted into a Christ-centered home in the United States, his journey of identity and redemption has deeply shaped his faith and calling. A student at Carson-Newman University, Isaac is preparing for pastoral ministry and future theological training. Through biblical teaching and personal testimony, he encourages adoptees and adoptive families while helping the church see adoption as a powerful picture of the gospel. Find him on Instagram or his website.
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This book was recommended by my dear friend Monica Bidwell, who knows and loves Isaac Melber and his family. I bought the book and wanted to recommend it here. These opinions are my own.
If you’re interested in adoption, I’d love for you to check out my first book, Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Family & My Faith. Here are other adoption books & resources.
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