On Adoption and The Gospel

When we announced we were adopting we were met with overwhelming support from friends and family. This was so expected because we have some very awesome friends and family. When you tell someone you are adopting a child from Africa they either think that is awesome or think you are crazy. We have been met with both responses. I'll just say Kevin is way more gracious than I am with the second response. :)

While we were talking through our decision to adopt with my brother, he said, "I can't think of a better depiction of the gospel lived out than adoption". I completely agree. Something that wasn't meant to be by God's design, broken, picked up and given life- re-made into the most beautiful thing. This is the gospel. Because sin entered the world, our original design was messed with. Messed up and broken. This world needed a redeemer in the worst way and by God's grace, He handed us one. Our future son was meant to stay with his first family. But because we live in a broken world, this cannot be. We don't even know the reason why this cannot be, yet. My heart breaks at the thought of receiving his referral full of information about him. Finding out his story. The story that will stay a part of him forever. So we choose him, bring him home, love the heck out of him and create a space for The Lord to do a redeeming work in his life. To show him that he is not forgotten or abandoned by Him- the one who breathed life into his precious lungs. He was created for a purpose, and we get to help him discover that purpose! We feel so grateful (and unworthy) to be a part of this sacred process.

We know, just like our own stories, redemption is so painful sometimes.
There are so many times we aren't lovable, but The Lord loves us anyway. In the same way, when our child is acting out of fear or grief or pain or trauma- they will be so, so difficult to love. We know this, because so are we! As husbands, wives, Moms, Dads, sometimes we are so, so difficult to love. But we love anyway. Because Christ loves us as we are, we love. We walk through this calling- even though we know going into this it will be hard. Just because something is hard doesn't mean it's not worth doing.

We are about to finish the dossier phase of this process, which is the last process before the waiting begins. So, as we fill out the mounds and mounds of paperwork and jump through the many hoops you have to navigate through, my mind keeps drifting to what God is doing in our hearts to prepare us to welcome this child. Where do we need to change and grow. How can we allow Him to refine our hearts as a part of His sanctification process that will prepare us to do this hard thing that's in front of us? I pray we seek His face daily as we arrive closer and closer to the waiting phase. Waiting for our sweet 4th child. How sweet that day will be.