Where do I start?
My husband's brother is adopted. Adoption has always been an everyday, household word for him. For me? Not so much. I had friends growing up that were adopted. When these friends got into high school and college, they strayed down a self destructive path that I always assumed (in my unprofessional, psychological opinion) was because of the rejection they felt by their birthmother. They were raised in loving Christian homes and I witnessed their parents dismay during their downward spiral.
Fast forward six heartbreaking years of infertility to be incredibly, mercifully blessed to have a son (who is now 9 years old and wonderful!). And then 9 more years of heartbreaking secondary infertility, when finally, we were at peace with God's plan for our childbearing years and we had sufficiently grieved.
And JUST when we were at peace with no more children, I was blessed to be able to travel on a life changing mission trip to Ethiopia with SIM and Sports Friends to help run a boys soccer camp. While I was there we got to visit the Mother Theresa AIDS orphanage. The children there were so beautiful and so happy. I was very sad to say goodbye to these children knowing that the majority of them would live and die in that very orphanage. We were in various cities in Ethiopia and I FELL IN LOVE with the people, the culture and especially the children there. When we had to say "goodbye" to the boys at the camp, I realized that my heart had forever been changed by the boys that I was responsible for during the week and I found that I had PLENTY of room and LOVE in my heart for another child/children. When I got to the airport in Addis Ababa, I had to force myself to not turn around and run back through the doors to stay in the country. I had made so many new friends and experienced so many new and exciting ways of worship, I was definitely on a spiritual high.
My husband's brother is adopted. Adoption has always been an everyday, household word for him. For me? Not so much. I had friends growing up that were adopted. When these friends got into high school and college, they strayed down a self destructive path that I always assumed (in my unprofessional, psychological opinion) was because of the rejection they felt by their birthmother. They were raised in loving Christian homes and I witnessed their parents dismay during their downward spiral.
Fast forward six heartbreaking years of infertility to be incredibly, mercifully blessed to have a son (who is now 9 years old and wonderful!). And then 9 more years of heartbreaking secondary infertility, when finally, we were at peace with God's plan for our childbearing years and we had sufficiently grieved.
And JUST when we were at peace with no more children, I was blessed to be able to travel on a life changing mission trip to Ethiopia with SIM and Sports Friends to help run a boys soccer camp. While I was there we got to visit the Mother Theresa AIDS orphanage. The children there were so beautiful and so happy. I was very sad to say goodbye to these children knowing that the majority of them would live and die in that very orphanage. We were in various cities in Ethiopia and I FELL IN LOVE with the people, the culture and especially the children there. When we had to say "goodbye" to the boys at the camp, I realized that my heart had forever been changed by the boys that I was responsible for during the week and I found that I had PLENTY of room and LOVE in my heart for another child/children. When I got to the airport in Addis Ababa, I had to force myself to not turn around and run back through the doors to stay in the country. I had made so many new friends and experienced so many new and exciting ways of worship, I was definitely on a spiritual high.
Meanwhile, back at home, my husband and son had already decided that our family needed to adopt and they started to put pressure on me to come around to their way of thinking before I left for Ethiopia. They were praying for my heart to be softened towards this thinking as well. You see, we belong to this incredible small group of believers and we had just finished studying the book of James in the Bible. And one of the verses we really chewed on was James 1:27.
And this verse manifested itself in MANY WAYS in the life of our small group. (more about that later, maybe) At the same time, our pastor was delivering messages laced with "adoption" stories and promptings. I was slowing, slowly, slowly, gently, gently, being guided, directed and even commanded by God to this idea of adoption for OUR family. So it is with GREAT fear and trepidation and only by the grace and mercy of God.........we move forward, one faithful step at a time.
