Here I will post the scripture journey God takes us on as we make our way down this path. I know this will help others someday when they too are on their own adoption journey.
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Sometimes we don't know the desires of our heart. I have felt the desire to adopt for almost 10 years now and thought my heart's desire had been fulfilled in 2009. We let God create our family and when He did, it was better than anything I could have brought together. I feel so honored that God would choose us again and especially humbled that He would bless me with a daughter from China. I have always had a heart for the girls of China, and feel so bad for the mothers and fathers that feel obligated to give them up. My heart breaks for their pain.
Called to be the hands and feet of God, along with a voice for those that cannot speak for themselves:
Proverbs 31:8
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
9: ...defend the rights of the poor and needy.
This verse confirms what I know in my heart about being a voice for my children. First of all I feel Ty and I were a voice for our adopted children as we went through the foster care process. We continue to be a voice for them when appropriate whether it be at school or other functions. We have had nothing but great responses with all that our children have needed in terms of special services. Our support system, school system, town....have all been great with providing services that our children have needed. However, we have had to be the voice for them since we know them best and what they need. God has been great to help us find the resources.
Also, with growing up in a predominently white/caucasion town (Marci) I am, by nature, very sensitive to how my children may be treated because of their race. I do not feel they have been mistreated because of that so far, but sometimes when I think they could be, I am quick to be a voice for them. I am learning to relax in this area, but because of this background, I carry this sensitivity with me.
Anyone wanting to adopt or foster will find out that you must be a voice for the children, and be willing to say whatever needs to be said. It is learning how to appropriately say and handle situations that I continue to learn since I also carry a rather large passion for children who cannot be their own voice or are misunderstood.
Isaiah 1:17
...encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
Again, this verse continues to encourage me and drive me to know that we are all called in some way to help children that have no one to help them whether it be through missions, adoption, supporting orphan ministries, or supporting those that do adopt.
Adoption does not end when the children come home. Children who are adopted continue to feel grief and loss. Families that adopt continue to need the love and emotional support from those around them. They too go through their own grief and loss in some way and need the advice, wisdom, and prayers of those who love them, and from those who have experienced the same things.
And again, I also believe we need to pray for those that gave their children up. Whether they were made to give them up or not, they will always feel a huge loss that most of us could never comprehend.
2 Kings 4:5
Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another.
This verse was so profound to me back in April when we decided to be obedient to God's call to begin an international adoption. With knowing how much international adoption would cost, it was hard for us to wrap our brains around how on earth we would pay for it. Then, I was reminded of how God took care of us through Ty's job loss. But then again, I thought of all that we still needed to do to our house to make it even liveable along with the fact that I had just started another master's program. Then God reminded me yet again how He has always taken care of us and that whatever He wants to happen, He will take care of and provide, we are to just keep taking the steps and continue to be obedient. I still do not know to this day how it will all work out, all I know is that we are choosing each day to walk in faith and to be obedient. God will work out all the other details. (He has so far in the few steps we've taken.) Does that mean we are being irresponsible? No. We are being responsible with what God blesses us with each day, and we are following His Word in being obedient. This does require walking in faith and we know we are following His path through His quiete voice we hear and His word that we read.
I have read so many other couple's stories of how they were able to pay for their adoptions and I find encouragement. Usually the story goes that God provided all they needed in the moment they needed it. I am encouraged by this, and I hope to encourage you with our story so that you do not decline the journey of adoption because you feel you cannot afford it. I cannot wait to see God's work through this journey!
This verse also allows me to know that when we find ourselves at the end of our rope on this journey and when the waiting gets to be too much, He will provide all that we need to get us through the rough times.
2 Kings 4:16
About this time next year, Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms."
"No, my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!"
On April 15, the day after I read the 2 Kings 4:5 verse, I read the 4:16 verse. Can I say OH MY GOODNESS! That is how I felt as I read my devotion that day. SEE, several years ago I had wanted to adopt from China. I totally believed that God had closed the door on that desire, and through the years I became ok with that as I raised our current 5 kids. Again, God confirmed His plan for us as I read that verse that Friday morning. He spoke the truth to us that He does intend to bless us with our daughter from China. And just like the woman in the story, I had the first same reaction and fear of God taking us down this path and allowing my heart to be broken when things did not work out. But that is not walking in faith and being obedient! I have had to push all of my fears aside and say "OK. God, you take this because I am not strong enough and I will mess everything up. Your will be done! I want no part in this, it has to be ALL YOU!" Ty and I both have to live like that since sometimes the unknown of what we have started gets to be too much. So, it is just easier to give each step of this journey up to Him and let Him lead.
"God lives in the crazy!"
Something I've held on to is a phrase from a good friend of ours. When we started this journey we knew it was pretty crazy. And, we knew we'd get some crazy reactions when we told people we were adopting yet another child. See, I already get the whole "you have 5 kids!???" when people find out how large our family is. I have come to not let that bother me anymore, especially since I know we are following God's lead. God can make our family as large as He wants to. And, if He thinks we can handle it, then who am I to say we can't.
We have also felt like it was the craziest time to begin this journey, and we tried to put it away for a couple of years. But, like I have said before, that was not meant to be. So when I think about how crazy this is, I always remind myself of what our friend told us. "GOD LIVES IN THE CRAZY". And, I believe it! Thank you God, for living in the crazy! And thanks Rick, for telling us that!
Now as I find scriptures from the Bible that God lives in the crazy, I will post the verses below: If you know of some please send them to me!
