I am addicted to blogs - have been for years. It's a peak inside another families' life - some are incredibly gifted writers, photographers, some bring a smile to my face, or challenge me. Dale's blog is one that makes me think. And his last post directed me to this blog. Please go check it out - today's post is incredibly moving - but the one before that explains a bit about how she arrived in Uganda. I read several posts and then read a few out loud to my guys - or tried to as I struggled through sobbing and tears. God is using this young woman in incredible ways. And I am praying God uses her and this ministry to open the eyes (as she did mine) not only to the needs of the precious children in Uganda, but to seeing what it is like to be sold-out for Jesus - to serve Him at all cost. I also followed a link on her blog to yet another (see how I can spend too much time on this computer!). This family is waiting to bring home their beautiful son and daughter from Uganda. Adoption. It is a miracle, it is a blessing. Caring for orphans is a calling, it is God's heart - no question.
James 1:27 - 'Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 'Psalm 86:6 - 'God sets the lonely in families...' Let me say from experience that the blessings for us as adoptive parents are as much (if not more!) then what the kids receive being placed in a family.
To be honest we didn't go into adoption with that mindset. We weren't considering growing our family in any way when God spoke to our hearts. Which is why it took Him a good 6 months to get through to both of us! But as soon as we were convinced this was His plan for us - we were on board. We selfishly wanted to bring our girls home (though we had no clue who they were yet!) NOW! All in God's timing...we made the decision to pursue an adoption 6 years ago. We now have two amazing little girls along with our two awesome boys. As we explored the areas we could adopt from - we researched many countries' programs. India, Guatemala, Africa, Korea, Russia, China. We settled on Korea - my hopes were for a young baby and they come home fairly young from Korea. We had friends with a son from Korea - so the process seemed familiar. But, God didn't allow us to proceed until He had us focused on China. He knew our daughters were there. And as I read more and learned more I realized that many of the kids there were in orphanages - with sometimes 30+ kids to a room with 1-2 nannies caring for them. While in Korea the babies are all in foster care and there was a long line of people ahead of us - waiting to adopt. Since we had children, we felt awkward about stepping into line knowing there might be families getting in line behind us who hadn't been blessed with children yet. Somehow, at the time, the China program felt different - the agencies were begging parents to sign up. The need was GREAT for parents to adopt and the process was predictable and smooth and FAST for our first adoption! 1 year from application approval to adoption day in China!
Our second adoption we received many gifts along with a grant - specific to a Chinese adoption. We were thrilled and grateful and in awe of God's provision! The months ticked by and turned to years. As we saw the wait was continuing to grow I began to get impatient and search for another option. I had a vision (not sure if it was directly from God or me!) of either an African/American child (domestic adoption) or a child from Africa joining our family. Zambia had opened up a new program and if we could have switched our grant money to that program we would have done it in a heartbeat! But, we couldn't and so we waited...and waited...and...waited. 3 years after starting Ren's adoption, I traveled to bring her home. No question that she is ours and God knew what He was doing! We just didn't like the wait! Or perhaps He was planting a seed in our hearts.
I don't know if this seed will grow into another adoption story in our family - it might. Trevor and I are both open to whatever God has for us. Some days we feel very busy and "full" as a family and content to imagine that our calling is now to raise up these 4 to God's glory. But, some days I feel a longing, a thought or two that our family is not complete. We will wait on the Lord to see. Perhaps the seed will turn into serious prayer support for other families waiting for their children in Africa as well as prayer for the children left behind all over the world. Or it will grow into our family being able to help the orphans in a practical way - through donations or mission trips. The boys and I talk frequently about how God might use them. He may call them to a mission field, He may bless them with a bunch of kids to minister to, He may use them to develop close friendships at any workplace in America and His light will shine through them. Are we willing to be used by Him? Wherever He takes us?
I don't know what God's plans are. I watch my boys grow up healthy and strong and loved and have so many options open to them after they graduate. I look at my daughters - who were once orphans - but are no longer. They are loved and cared for and beautiful and strong. They have a family that loves them fiercely. This afternoon I was getting Ren ready for natptime and I admired her precious, chubby legs and arms, I snuggled her while she drank her small bottle - much more for bonding and snuggling then for nutrition. She gets all she needs through 3 meals a day, plus snacks. I watched her doze off..so content, so peaceful. And the contrast to what I read today on Katie's blog is overwhelming.
Father God - direct us, speak to us, help us to hear YOUR voice above our own, above the noise that surrounds us in this culture and society. We long to be your hands and feet. We want to love you, by loving others. Show us your plan - speak, not only to my family, but to the church as a whole. And I pray that we HEAR your voice. Please pour out provision for the people in Africa. Thank you that you know and love every child, every baby, everywhere. Thank you for Katie and so many others like her, who are serving you - both here and across the world. We love you, Jesus - thank-you for loving us first.