So why adopt? Adoption had been a conversation for Alan and I before we were even married. On many occasions our kids had asked us to consider adopting. In February 2013, I had the privilege of going to Kenya on a mission trip. Seeing the poverty and disease all around me was very hard to accept. But what really tugged at my heart strings were these:
In the middle of the week a momma came up to me and asked me to take her baby home. At first it did not sink in. But then in my room that night an overwhelming sense of love dawned on me. She LOVED her baby so much that she would sacrifice herself, her sadness and her loneliness for her baby's well being. She knew there was a good chance her baby would not grow to adulthood (kind of like our heavenly Father did for us huh?). It was at that moment I knew I wanted to adopt! (Now to convince Alan!)
Upon returning home the images of those precious little ones, many without one or both of their parents, eventually faded. We were told that we would "feel different" upon returning home and we can get sucked back into our culture quickly. Well, I did. I still thought about adoption, but more selfishly as to why not to adopt. Our youngest is now 14, we are going to be empty nesters soon enough, all the free time we currently have, and the list goes on! Then God convicted me that these were all selfish reasons. I had seen the devastation and I was choosing to look away. Then I heard this: Accepting the call for orphans We have had several friends adopt and seeing the joy on the newly adopted child's face was priceless. It was a look of hope, of belonging and of finally, a family.
Alan and I continued to have conversations and prayer about the pros and cons with the main con being about the cost of adoption! We knew the love component was there but the finances were going to be up to God. So after many prayers, we knew if God was calling us to adopt, He alone would provide the means. So the final question was, WHY NOT?
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