I'll let you in on a secret...

Without fail, one of the first things we hear when someone finds out that we plan to adopt is, "Oh you are such great people.  You are doing such a great thing.  I don't think I could ever do that."  Tonight I want to let you in on a little secret...
We aren't great people.  We aren't extraordinary.  Now, yes I do believe adoption is a great thing.  I also believe it is not for everyone.  However, we are no better than any of you reading this.  We are not well off financially.  We don't have a big house.  We don't own our home.  We haven't been married long.  We don't have a ton of parenting experience (technically we don't have any).  We do not have extensive medical or cultural knowledge.
However, we serve a great God.  We would not be where we are in this story without His leading.  We believe that adoption is part of God's redemption story.   Throughout the Bible, God talks about adoption.  In the Old Testament, King David brought Mephibosheth into his kingdom.  Despite being imperfect and the only one left in his family, he was welcomed at the kings table.  In James it declares, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  And in Ephesians, Paul in speaking about God the Father says, “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 for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”  It seems as though adoption has always been a part of God's plan in how we care for the world and people He has entrusted to us.
We arrived at adoption differently than many families.  For us, this is Plan A.  We believe that this is means bringing home the children who were meant to be a part of our family.  We are not great people.  We will stumble and even fall.  But we serve a great God, guiding us and coming along side us every step of the way.  

Joy of a child

Tonight my heart is so full.  It is amazing how encouragement comes in so many different forms and God always knows exactly when I need it.  Tonight I was working the second part of my third double in a row.  I love my job, but it can be exhausting sometimes.  I was quite simply worn out.  One of my favorite regulars walked in.  I had no tables and her baby girl was sleeping.  So I got to take a few moments to just hold and enjoy her.  This was followed by some great conversation, and a little bit of playing peekaboo around the pinball machines.  Tonight I needed the joy of a child to fill my heart.
I also needed to be reminded why we are on this long, stressful journey.  You see, people say to me all the time, "Well wouldn't it be easier to just get pregnant."  This statement is usually preceded by "Oh, can you not have "your own" children?" with a sad and somewhat sympathetic look.  First of all, please don't ever say this to someone who is adopting.  If we were struggling with infertility, you just tore that wound back open.  Now that you know that we are not, you are often confused, which is what lead to your second statement.  Let's be honest in many ways it probably would be easier to just get pregnant.  But adoption did not become part of our story because it seemed like the easy option.  We believe wholly that this is God's plan for our lives, that our family was meant to grow through adoption.
But tonight I needed to be reminded that we also chose this path because of the joy of a child.  A child who is an orphan can have their joy stolen so easily.
So while we know we can't change the world...we can't save every orphan...we can't even make a difference for 1%...maybe for a child or two we can return their joy.