How Can We Not?

Oh my gosh where to begin?

3 weeks ago I found out that Meghan's Biological older brother and sister were Waiting Children.  When I saw their picture my stomach leaped up into my throat and then down into my feet.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I felt so saddened to see their pictures there.  I contacted a few agencies with Waiting Children and requested their files.  I wanted to know how they had ended up there.  I wanted their orphanage to know about us and Meghan in the event they were adopted that we might have some contact.  I wanted to send them care packages.  I wanted to advocate for them.

And then God went to work.  He worked on me.  He worked on Tom.  He worked on our kids.  And he is not letting up.

You see, two days before I found them I was giving a devotional to my Community Bible Study Leadership class.  For months I had known about this devotional that I had to do.  I prayed and prayed that God would give me the words.  I had no idea what my topic would be.  The night before the devotional, I prepared a lengthy talk.  The morning of the devotional I threw it away.  I went into it completely unprepared and with only God to give me the words.  I started talking.  I talked about trusting God.  I clarified to state that I didn't mean trusting God to provide for us but I meant trusting God that his wisdom is better than our wisdom.  "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise," 1 Corinthians 1:27.  I went on to talk about what we see when we are acting according to his will - one little rose in a field.  When we adopted Meghan we believed that God had called us to adoption to save that one child.  To save Meghan.  We still do believe it.  Saving Meghan is the one rose in the field.  But when God calls someone to act according to His will, he sees a multitude on roses.  Fields and fields and fields.  And he intends our service to Him to be those roses.  Looking back on adoption I believe that God calls us each to adopt not only to save orphans but to reveal himself to us.  When God talks about his love for us he uses two analogies:  Marriage (Christ is the bride groom the Church is his bride), and Adoption.   Most people experience marriage and thus experience the essence of sacrificial love that Christ has for us.  I believe that He calls all of us to adoption to learn about the love that God has for us.  Our Father chose us before we knew Him, pursued us, before we knew Him and loves us even when we reject Him.  Adoption so closely mirrors the gospel that it can't be a coincidence why God wants us each to experience it.

 I don't know if I am making any sense.  Mostly because I can't really remember a thing I said when I gave that devotional.  It was all God led.  Apparently it was a pretty good devotional according to my audience, of course it would be good- God wrote it!

So, here I am 3 weeks later.  We keep asking each other "How can we bring home these two kids?"  And the answer is always, "How can we not?"

So, if all goes as planned, in a few weeks I will not be posting in this blog anymore.  I am going to be starting a new one.  I guess I will call it Bringing Them Home.

We are scared- yes.  We are excited too.  I know some of you have reached out and talked to me about the pain that can often accompany an older child adoption.  I really appreciate every word.  Sometimes people only want to share the positives but it is so important that parents go into any adoption with all the information and their eye's wide open.  I will be counting on all your encouragement and support as we undertake this huge step for our family.

Lastly, this will be an "unplanned adoption".  And we are not financially ready to cover all the adoption costs.  Please pray for us that God will provide the funds.  We did not fund raise for Meghan's adoption but I am afraid we will have to for this one.  But I also feel like this adoption is not just about us, our family and wanting to bring home a child.  I feel like this adoption is an answer to a call.  We did  not seek this out, if anything we have dragged our feet and come up with excuse after excuse.  But we can't delay as the kids are getting older and older.  The time is now.  Don't be shocked if you see a chip in button on my next blog.  I cannot be too proud to ask for help to bring home two kids who are without hope and without a future.

Please keep us in your prayers.