All the Reasons NOT to Adopt

How many reasons can we count NOT to adopt? I bet a million.

1. It's expensive

2. We're blessed beyond measure with our 3 children already

3. Our families will think we are out of our minds

4. We might struggle financially with another

5. It might take away time from our 3 kids

Uh, well 5 is all I can come up. That was not a million. That did not take as long as I thought this was going to take.  Two are sort of the same...finances. One, is a big worry, our families. And the other is our children and that I really go back and forth about because I believe that with each child we've added to the family, the blessings have outweighed the burdens.

So, finances. Well, that is a biggie. What to do? Pray about it. Have faith in it. Hope that God leads us to where he wants us to be. Perhaps we get to the end of this road and we do not adopt. That will be OK for us. But if God truly called us to adopt then we will answer that call. As we have said before, we believe we will raise the funds necessary for the costs of the adoption. As for the day to day costs of raising another child, I do believe we will be able to provide.

Our family will have news they were not expecting to hear this year. That is a known fact. I'm excited and cannot wait to tell them. Actually, I cannot wait for Todd to tell them when I'm not around and then report back to me how it went.  Seriously, I have faith that our parents will support our decision and love us and their new grandson and once each of them has recovered from their fainting spells they will not clobber us but will go on spending sprees in their hometowns that will rival any new proud grandparent. I'm certain of it.

I'm sure there are loads of other reasons NOT to adopt but no reasons speak to my heart as loudly as the reasons TO adopt. And that is that we are asked to.

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6

Making Contact

This week has been one of joyous You've Got Mail moments for me. Sending out emails and waiting for responses. Tap Tap Tap. Going and away from the computer and coming back to it to see something in the inbox. Watching as my Blackberry's red light flashes indicating that maybe something awaits in there that might be news relating to our adoption.

On the other hand, my poor poor husband is in the land of nothing ever happens day after day in his job hunt. The school district is threatening school wide cuts. But he is desperate to switch schools and get closer to our neighborhood school. This move has hovered over our family for a couple of years and we have prayed about it for a long time now. Todd has always wanted to teach at the school where the kids go to school. They will only be this age for so many years and the clock is ticking........tick tock.

So day after day our district puts off the inevitable school cuts, the poor first year probationary teachers are left in limbo and the other teachers who would like to make permanent moves cannot.

We are reminded at times like these that we are on God's time and not ours.

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass … Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:4,7)

I know that as we continue on the journey of adoption and the emails do not come as quickly and the paperwork slows down and the days turn to weeks and months my attitude may change. I hope that I can remember that our son is safe right now in God's Grace and in our love. And that, in time, we will be united on his timeline.

        ”A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)