I'm going to close this series on adoption with some of my thoughts on the subject.
If you missed parts 1 and 2, you can read them here:
Being a foster mom, adoption is on my mind a lot.
And by a lot, I mean all the time.
The future of each of my kids rides on one question:
Will they get adopted, or not?
I can't help but ask that question almost constantly.
The hard truth is, the chances of even a couple of my kids getting adopted is very slim. The chances of all 8 (Promise has aged out) getting adopted is nearly impossible.
I am, in my mind, a realist. Most people would probably see me as a little pessimistic though.
When it comes to my kids, God is constantly challenging me to pray for big things for them and believe they can do way more than what they've been told. And through that, I've seen a lot of the "impossible" happen in front of my eyes. I've learned to see my kids in the light of an optimist. I've learned to dream for the impossible and then fight for it.
When it comes to their adoptions though, it's a little harder to shut down my pessimistic side...
I know the stats. And the odds are not looking good.
All but 2 of my kids are over the age of 6. All have pretty prominent disabilities.
Domestic adoption is almost for sure not going to happen for any of them.
International adoption is a long and expensive process that few are willing to undertake for older kids with special needs.
Everything in my head tells me I shouldn't even hope for it. That it just isn't going to happen.
But guess what?
We serve a God that doesn't operate within statistics.
We serve a God of the impossible.
So I'm going to throw all my "knowledge" out the window, hold on to hope, and pray for big things.
I'm going to pray that not only one or two of my kids get adopted, but that every one of them will one day be a part of a forever family.
Because I know the One who can defeat all the odds and make that possible.
Please join me in prayer that God would put each one of my kids on the heart of a family that will answer the call to adopt and bring them home.
Please pray with me that one day we will see Lily, Molly, Nolan, Jasmine, Dinah, Cedar, Theo, and Louise each with their forever family.
It is a big prayer, but our God is bigger.
I'll end with a challenge.
Why not you?
As the church, we are the body of Christ. Caring for the orphan, the overlooked, the outcast - that is something so close to God's heart. Shouldn't the body of Christ be about doing that which is dear to His heart?
As Americans we have this mentality of seeing a problem, throwing our money at it, and walking away.
While ministries like SCH need the money to do what they do and appreciate every penny that comes in, it is just a band-aid. What these children really need is a home and a family.
So I say again, why not you?
Has God been putting adoption on your heart and you've pushed it away with a bunch of excuses?
Have you told yourself that you just couldn't do something like that?
I ask you to rethink that.
These kids don't need perfect parents. They just need parents.
"Wait," you might say. "What about all the people who are on huge waiting lists to adopt?"
Those waiting lists of thousands of people? Yes those exist, but those are all people waiting to adopt a baby.
I'm not asking you to consider adopting a baby. I'm asking you to consider adopting a child no one else wants. A child that is older. A child with special needs. A child who could do and be so much more if given access to the resources we take for granted in America.
I'm asking you to be the hands and feet of Christ to one of His precious children.
God can use you to change a child's life.
Will you let Him?
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