I think I have always had a heart for adoption and I don't think I would ever have said "No" to the idea. In fact, I loved the thought of adopting even before Pete and I met and married. Add to that the fact that Pete really has a heart for kids who need someone to love them. It was amazing to meet a guy from the deep south who had several close family members who are racially prejudice in a huge way...and he himself loves kids no matter WHAT color they are!
There was a time, however, when I would have told you that my heart was with international children in need of a mom and dad. I will always have an open heart to what God wants to do with our family....but....the romance of international adoption that I thought could and would never be replaced by anything domestic has moved into a "storage area" of my heart. I would not have believed God would take me through our mistakes and dark times in order to bring us out on the other side...the side that is EXCITED about kids right here!
We will be attending a prayer vigil this Sunday as part of a national campaign to be a voice for foster kids across this country. I am JAZZED!
I have a little boy in my home right now who came after I typed the word "DONE!" in desperate surrender. How could God be putting such a strong desire in my heart to parent a fatherless child if all the doors were closing...and hard?! A little over an hour later I was holding a brown angel baby...perfect in every way...a gift from God....regardless of how long that might be.
Foster care and adoption is tough stuff and there are unknowns. BUT...it does not require us to hang on a cross or watch our only child go to the depths of hell...AND there is One who is in control of all the unknowns and we can trust him to lead us through it and protect our hearts in the process.
So many people tell me they could never foster or adopt because of the potential pain of a failed adoption or the heartache of having to hand a child back. There are no guarantees...except the guarantee that children without loving families will suffer lonliness and pain. Worth the risk? I think so. How can I sit in a place of safety, security, love and provision and say I will not share it....because I might get my feelings hurt?
Praying for changed hearts this week....on behalf of the children!
3 comments:
Oh, Lori. This is beautiful! Can I use a line from this on my blog? When you wrote that our adoptions and fostering bring challenges, but the do not require us to hang on a cross, I got chills! Profound and so true!
You can ALWAYS use anything you find worthy of repeating....although, that will probably be very little.
Lori, your heart continues to amaze me. Not because I expect less, but because I am just so touched by it!
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