Why we are adopting.

Tonight I sat down to finalize my answers on an application for adoption aid, and it occurred to me that some folks might be wondering why we are adopting but can't think of a tactful way to ask. I've had several people just smile and nod when I say we are preparing to welcome a third child through adoption as I cart around the two kids I already have. My favorite response is, "Didn't you just have a baby?" I'm always so tempted to smile and add, "Yes, and I gave birth without an epidural and I homeschool my oldest. I bet you really think I'm crazy now!" but I don't. Instead I'd like to share with you all my response to the question, "Why are you adopting?" as I answered it on this particular application.

This simplest answer to the question, “Why are you adopting?” is that we desire our lives to be aligned with God’s will and this is His will for our lives. We desire to be obedient. Every time we have sought to be obedient to God, He has provided us with a very big way to prove that’s what we really want, and this time is no different.

When Tim and I first considered adoption shortly after we were married, I don’t think either of us had a full understanding of the biblical doctrine of adoption. Therefore we didn’t truly understand what it means to be called to adopt. We saw a need and that pricked our hearts and made us want to act, but we didn’t fully understand why.

We’ve gone through a lot of spiritual growth since then, and both of us, Tim especially, have grown in our knowledge of God’s word and His doctrines.

When we started entertaining thoughts of adoption again after our son was born, we understood the call of every follower of Christ to care for widows and orphans. Personally, I wanted to make sure this calling was truly from God and not just my own desire to help cute little babies. For several days, every time the thought of adopting would pop into my head (which was pretty often!) I would try to imagine life without that child. I tried to imagine my life without ever trusting God to bring every detail of the adoptive process together for His glory. I tried to imagine never witnessing so awesome a miracle played out in my life. I tried to picture the loss to those people around us who would never be blessed by helping us pray through it all. And I cringed at the thought of other orphans who might never be adopted because we were afraid to go first and be an example to other families who would come after us, if only someone would show it’s not as scary and mysterious as they previously thought.

After three days of this prayer and self-evaluation, adoption wasn’t something I just wanted to do, it was something I had to do! The fire God lit in me then has sustained me through piles of paperwork. Most importantly it has shaped my attitude about the process as a whole. It helped me truly see every detail as a ministry. Without it I would not have been able to joyfully wait in line at the bank for one more piece of paper to be signed, to smile and glorify God with my answer when someone asks me why I don’t want more of my “own kids,” to patiently explain to the office nurse for the third time why the date on the doctor’s signature has to be the same as the date on the notary’s. All of this frustration is ultimately preparation to parent a child who is in desperate need of a family, and who will be a little worse for wear because of it.

God showed us a way to know the very character and nature of His love for us, and that is why we are adopting.