Why adoption?  We have always talked about adopting at some point but had no idea what that might look like.  There are so many reasons why we are choosing to do it now, so I will try to summarize some of those.

 

First, adoption was God’s idea.  We were orphans, lost and dying, but Christ came and gave all of Himself so that we might have life.  We have been grafted into His family and are called His sons and daughters.  Adoption is a clear picture of the gospel.  The Bible also contains over 300 verses about taking care of the poor and orphans and widows.  Overseas trips we have taken, things we have seen and knowledge I have gained pertaining to human trafficking have also moved our hearts toward adoption.  We cannot ignore the ways our eyes have been opened.

 

In August 2009 I read the book From Ashes to Africa (check out the “…ethiopia or bust blog on my home page).  It was  instrumental in our grieving process.  We had already surrendered our baby to God, but the Lord used this book to bring us to a place of surrender with our plans to have more children.  We did not necessarily know that we were supposed to adopt at that point, but we were reminded of the countless lessons God has taught us through our baby and our infertility struggle.  As much as we wish Baby J was here with us, we see the beauty of the divine interruption he brought to our lives and how he has changed us.  Our experiences have become a treasure as they have made us more aware of the suffering of others around us and around the world.  They have made us feel more like strangers in this world, less attached to it and more interested in what matters for eternity.  When I finished From Ashes to Africa we asked God to give us a His dreams for our future and were left with a sense that He had something different for us.  God continued to mold my heart when He led me to begin a prayer group (using the book Passport to Prayer) that September focused on issues of compassion around the world.  As God was working on us, we continued to pursue infertility treatments and to work through the grieving process.

 

In the spring of 2010, we came to a point where we simply needed a break emotionally and physically from infertility treatments, and we began sensing God’s leading to pursue adoption.  As we were driving home from vacation in June, we agreed that we needed to make a decision about adoption regardless of  whether or not we will have biological children.  We decided to begin more seriously praying about and researching our adoption options.  God used the book Radical as well as David Platt’s sermon, “Father to the Fatherless”, to confirm that we were moving in the right direction. 

 

I spent several weeks researching agencies and talking to others who had adopted.  It was very overwhelming, but every day I got more and more excited about the possibilities.  I sent Miller tear jerker videos every day at work (which I’m sure he appreciated) of others going to pick up their child, and in his response, I could see that God was definitely molding his heart as well.  I also had some breakdowns along the way (and am sure there are more to come :), and Miller had to remind me that adopting does not mean we are shutting the door on ever having another pregnancy or biological child, that it is another path altogether.  We talked about domestic vs. international adoption, and although there are risks and challenges along either path, we did not feel we could handle the potential and unique ups and downs that come with adopting domestically.  We also realize that we can only help a few children and are making a difference no matter where we choose to adopt from.  After hearing and seeing more about the conditions in Ethiopia as well as narrowing down our country options for infant adoption, it was obvious that this was the place for us.  God has continued to confirm this in special ways as it seems Ethiopia is always “around us”  in conversations and through a growing network of adoptive families (even one whom we met a few years back!).  After several weeks Miller said, “Well, I don’t really think there is anything else to pray about since we are commanded to care for the orphans in some way, and we are feeling called to do it through adoption.”  I fully agreed!  Why wouldn’t we do this???  We officially decided to adopt and to do so from Ethiopia through All God’s Children International on June 30th, 2010.  I will never forget that day as God gave me an overwhelming joy and contentment in our decision.

 

Although the door has not been closed on future treatments and a possible pregnancy, we are confident it is not the path we are to walk down at this time.  We believe our God is able to do a miracle and give us a biological child, and we do not give up hope (please keep praying :).  We do not enter into this process ignorantly thinking it will replace the void left by Baby J  or of another pregnancy, but He has birthed in us another desire as well in adopting.  The two desires do not rest on each other, and we know we are called to adopt regardless of another pregnancy.  We are not doing this because it is culturally popular, because we feel pressure to get our family started or because we think as soon as we bring our child home I will magically get pregnant.  This child will be just as much our own as any biological child, and this is not plan B…it is orchestrated and ordained by God, written into our stories from the beginning of time.  Just as Christ adopted us into His family out of a desire for relationship and a great purpose in our redemption, we enter into this process with incredible anticipation and joy as well as purpose and calling.  At the core of our being, it feels like we were made to do this, and that is not something that will fade.  He has imprinted it on our souls!  Only our God can redeem our trials in such a way as to push us further toward His eternal purposes to His glory!

 

Ephesians 1:3-12 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he  predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”