We have always been open to the "idea" of adopting as we love children, always wanted a big family, and also loved the "idea" of helping a child without hope or much of a future. But being open and actually doing something about it are two very different things. We are so fortune to live in an area of an amazing adoptive community, both here in Williamson County, and also in our church at Fellowship Bible. So we are surrounded by many great families who have adopted but never felt exactly "called" ourselves, until we went to the annual national homeschool basketball tournament with our beloved NCC Warriors in March 2011. There we got to know an incredible family (The Christensen's) who have adopted 3 of their 5 children. I sat by the indoor pool along with other women listening, and wept as my friend Amy recounted each of her adoption stories and mission trips, all the while we all took turns chasing her almost 2 yr. old rescued "crack"-baby around the pool. All I kept thinking was who does this? What kind of family lives their lives in service to the plight of orphans? What else in life really matters? They are living out the gospel as Christ intended. I held out as long as I possibly could and made it back the room where my husband David was. I wept again as I recounted every word I could remember that Amy said. He wept too. So we both prayed right then and there that God would begin to give us a willing heart. Our 13-yr. old daughter entered the room so I shared with her and she wept. My youngest AnnaKate, age 10, entered the room and we filled her in as well. Jess began to ask us why do you even have to pray about it, let's just do it, to which I replied, that's easier said than done. This is a HUGE decision. It's in God's hands now. Our kids have actually been asking us for years if we could adopt. For the next month or so I continued to pray. I learned my friend Christie, who already has 5 children, 1 with special needs, decided to adopt 2 from Ethiopia. This is a family who is radical-who trust in the Lord. There are countless others. I met again with my friend Amy and she just listened to my heart and encouraged me. I read some books on adoption and shared with some close friends that we were praying about it. I wasn't really hearing from the Lord so we had the whole Christensen family over:) ...that would do it. I had asked David if he had been praying about it and he said not really but he would start. Meanwhile our dear friends the Kroeker's were on their way back from China with their new son. We could hardly wait for their arrival at the airport-and there he was, little Joel Kroeker. He was and is pretty incredible. Over the next few weeks we got to spend time with them as they adjusted to life with their new son. We were overjoyed every time we were together. God began really closing the deal. I had read the book Adopted for Life and asked David to do the same. As God would have it, I had asked for MaryBeth Chapman's book Choosing to See for Christmas but Santa didn't bring it, and I just forgot about it until this time, so I went and got it at the library. God's timing right? Well, that book was pretty powerful. If you have never read it-it is a must read.
Finally, David had been traveling quite a bit and June and just back from a 2 or 3 day trip, he asked if we could go to dinner that very night. Not thinking much of it, but much delighted, I arranged for the kids, and off we went to Bonefish Grill for the $5 Bang-Bang Wednesday. :)
Over shrimp he slid me an envelope that with an adoption application in it. Through tears he said, I'm not just "on-board" with you on this adoption thing...I think we HAVE to do this. He went on to share the markers for him personally that he believed God revealed to him over the last several weeks. Immediately I was fearful and excited all at the same time. I began to say, are you sure??? Tell me again why we should do this??? While there were no miraculous signs like the heavens parting or anything, over the next few days God was so kind to reveal to me HIS heart for adoption. An excerpt from MaryBeth Chapman's book on how God sees adoption: God says to us, "You had no hope, no future, you were poor, hungry, dirty, had nothing to offer, nothing about you deserves or can earn my love, and yet I loved you anyway. I chose you. I love you and you are mine. Period." This is a perfect parallel to God's adoption of us. We had nothing to offer and yet he CHOSE us. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Facts about Ghana Africa...
- Two in five children who start primary school in Ghana do not complete fifth grade.
- 1.1 million children in Ghana are orphans or have lost one parent due to AIDS/poverty.
- 90 percent of children and adults in Ghana lack access to improved sanitation facilities.
- Nearly one-third of children and families in Ghana struggle to survive on $1.25 a day or less.
The last marker for us in our decision to adopt was when I saw John Piper's video message addressing the crowd at an Orphan Summit entitled "What Does It Mean to Live by Faith in the Service of the Fatherless?" It was really a message about faith-not adoption quite as much but it sent me over the edge. It is so powerful...click on the video below. It's worth it!
So here we are on this journey that requires more faith than we have ever known. We eagerly await the miracle of this grafting into our family just as we were grafted in to God's family.
Soli Deo Gloria
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