Adoption?

Ok, it's been about 11 months since God launched us on this incredible adoption journey. But how'd we get to that point? Abby and Christine, two friends and blogging buddies have inspired me to revisit how it all started for us.

Why? Kind of reminds me of a little craft we did in women's ministry this month. They gave us a journal, glass jar, and a bag of little river rocks. Inside the journal says, "This journal is to remind us that God is our rock and our redeemer. Each time God does something powerful in your life, take a stone, mark it, place it in the jar, and then record your "God story" in your journal. May we never forget God's faithfulness." (This idea came from Joshua 4, when the Lord commanded His people to collect twelve memorial stones from the Jordan - awesome story, check it out.) So, to remember and to proclaim what God can and does do with imperfect open hearts and arms, here we go: I'm just gonna copy what I wrote in one of many applications...:)

Ross brought up the subject of adoption years ago, when we had two little ones, and I thought it was a great idea, but acting on it seemed so distant and unreal. Since then we've had two more kids, moved closer to family, helped launch our church and have steadily developed a definite direction, vision, and mission for our little family. This past year especially has been a year of tremendous spiritual growth for me and Ross and our family. I have experienced God, His love, protection, and provision in unbelievable ways. It seems only natural and right to pour that love He's shown me right back out again.

This past spring I remember going to visit friends and their new baby at the hospital.. We had all four kids and were in a bit of a hurry because Ross had just gotten home from work, we hadn't eaten dinner, and I had worship practice. (This just kind of paints the picture of my harried mom-mind at that moment.) When we entered the hospital room, we offered our congratulations, heard the labor story, and then, without me asking, the grandma placed this sweet little peanut in my arms. At that moment I felt God speak to my heart - undeniably. I heard, "You can love someone who didn't come from you." It was that clear to me. I started crying! On our way home, Ross asked if I was OK, and I told him what I had heard in my heart. That night and all of the following week, that experience turned into a steadily growing desire in my heart to look into adoption, and that desire turned into a conviction! As Ross and I talked and talked and prayed and prayed, we both came to the same conclusion: if we both have the desire and conviction to adopt, let's do it! Let's not wait for the "perfect time," because we knew from our experience conceiving our biological kids, that the "perfect time" never comes. It's all about God's time. And we knew this was it.


It's actually hilarious to read that last line, because we just assumed that because we were starting the process then that we'd be about done by now. ha ha ha Just goes to show that surrendering and simply saying "yes" was just the BEGINNING of the growing and learning of the past year!

I'm not sure what God's plans are or how He'll use us - I have my hopes, but it's not about us, I've finally gotten that!