What will you do?

November is National Adoption Month.  I remember learning that somewhere in 2007, one of the many times that I felt the Lord was leading us to adoption.  I was just very slow to act on it!   Being an adoptive parent makes you hyper-sensitive to anything adoption related and so, November rolled in and heightened my senses on the subject once again.

But something is so backwards about it all.  We listen to radio ads, read articles in our Christian publications, even have events in our churches to raise awareness on the subject.  But what action is taken?  Our hearts are stirred and yet we sit idle thinking of some poor friend of ours who is infertile, maybe they could adopt.  And then we quickly come up with about 10 really good reasons we can't do it ourselves. 


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.



So we are actually commanded to care for the orphans?! Does that mean every Christian should adopt? I don't think so. That isn't at all what this verse says, it says to care for the orphans. How can we say we are pro-life and sit back and not do anything to help orphans?  Caring for orphans will look different for everyone. Maybe you are to pray for them. Many of you can't adopt for various reasons but maybe you could donate financially to a couple who is adopting. However, just maybe, you are being called to adopt. But one thing is for sure, we are all called to act in some fashion.


I will be honest, our first instinct to adopt was based on a need to fill an empty spot in our lives.  A place we had prepared in our heart for more children; one that had never been occupied. I believe that as we walked through the process, our hearts were transformed.  We began to understand the "call to adopt", actually I prefer the "mandate to adopt". 
 
I do not feel that there was any heroic action within our adoption.  In fact ours was the perfect little scenario - baby girl, adopted at birth, no special needs, looks like our family, etc.... No real hurdles to face.  The real heroes of adoption are those who rescue children from orphanages across the world; those who embrace children with special needs, those who adopt trans racially - not because they are desperate for children, but because there are children in desperation.
 
According to some statistics I have read, if just 2 or 3 percent of all evangelical Christians would adopt there would be no more orphans!  This week, I read this post  and was so convicted.  My heart wants to adopt again, but there are so many "buts" in the way.

... But we are getting too old...
... But we don't have the money...
....But how in the world would I handle two little ones...( a biggie for me)

I could go on and on...BUT, what I have realized is this whole journey is not about me at all, but what He wants to do through us for His glory!  So what now?  I wish I really knew.  My prayer is that His plan will be evident to us, regardless of what it is and that we won't allow fear to hinder us from stepping out in faith with reckless abandon.

What will you do?


“Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act.” Proverbs 24:12