Why Adopt?

Many adoptive families get asked this question, and families considering ask it as well...  Why Adopt?  The answer varies from person to person.  In my case, the answer would have been different depending upon the time in my life you asked me.

I knew in my early teens that I had a God-given desire to adopt children.  However, as a teenager, it was kind of my platform or my social justice issue.  I despised racism and hated the division between the preps, rednecks, and African Americans at my school.  Rebel flags irked me to no end, and I was determined to show people someday through my own family that "Red and Yellow, Black and White, They are precious in His sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world."

Fast forward to my junior year of college.  Three weeks before his graduation, Jon and I begin dating.  Low and behold on our very first date, we talked about our individual desires to adopt children.  Yep... sealed the deal right then, and I married that man a couple years later.  Thus, my new answer to "Why Adopt?" was to build our family of course!  During the first year of our marriage, I started hinting at when would we start our family.  Jon got me a kitten.  A year later, the same discussion, and another kitten.  Year 3... no cats allowed!!!!  We began going to adoption conferences and seminars, but our ages seemed to be the big strike against us.  Oh well... God had other grand plans, and we were blessed with the birth of our wonderful baby boy.  Caleb Scott has been such a gift and a tremendous blessing in our lives.

It didn't take long after Caleb was born for my subtle hints to become earnest pleas to start the adoption process.  Thus, began a difficult time.  I couldn't understand why both Jon and I shared God's heart for the orphan and desired to adopt but couldn't agree on the timeline.  I was ready to go, and Jon continued to say wait.  There were many tears cried!!! Jon was having his own wrestling match with God, and in my impatience and frustration, God was also working in my heart as well.  He was helping me to see what my answer should be when asked "Why Adopt?"

I had to come to realize the spiritual aspect of adoption.  Adoption in its purest and simplest form is a reflection of what God has done for me.  Adoption is REDEMPTION!  It is being welcomed into a family and being loved unconditionally.  It is being given an inheritance and a name.  WOW!!!! 

Adoption is where the broken and beautiful collide.  It is messy... it is amazing!  It is my story, and God is the Author.  I'm thankful that my loving Father adds new pages each day.  As the pen touches the page, I want the writing always to be able to say that I'm living out James 1:27 with boldness and zeal.

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.  ~ James 1:27

 

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Prayer - Dear God, Be with those who are both privately and publicly asking the question, "Why Adopt?"  Turn their hearts to you and open their eyes to your WORD.  Amen.