Adoption??

Adoption….my whole life seems to be preparing me for this year.

Why Adoption? At first I was shocked by this feeling inside my heart to adopt a child that didn’t come from my womb. I have 3 perfect daughters (12, 10, & 4) why would I want another? I was SHOCKED that God would plant this idea into my husband’s heart. We love our girls but we sometimes dream about our life once our girls are out of the house. Yes I’m that mom.

That mom who feeds her kids McDonalds.

That mom who claims that the family bed is the best because of the special bond but really I love the family bed because I can just roll over to feed the baby instead of getting up.

That mom who plays to win even if the game is candy land and that mom who has always kept the score at every soccer, basketball and softball game my kids have ever played even when they were 4.

I still gag at poopie diapers, throw-up, and snot. I am not the mother who "finds joy" in these activities.


I can be VERY selfish and self centered. Why would God plant adoption into my husband’s heart!

That was until I felt this nudge from the Holy Spirit myself. Somehow someway God changed my heart. As I think back over my life I discovered that the seed of adoption was planted many years ago. Now that seed has laid dormant for a long time but it was there. When I was young, my parents became foster parents. Our first foster child came into my life when I was 8. Into my home walked not 1, not 2, but 3 sisters ages 9, 10, 11. My parents continued foster parenting for some time. They had a burden especially for troubled teenage girls. My life was crazy! Can you imagine taking in troubled teenage girls! I saw my parents love and forgive over and over. My parents were also youth pastors and my mom also worked 9 years as a chaplain for a Texas Youth Commission juvenile prison! I have had too many “sisters and brothers” to count. My parents had the heart of adoption.


Not only was I raised in a home that loved and gave hope to the hurting, but I have been loving and teaching preschool since I was 18! How did I miss this training that God had been giving me? How did I not see Him softening my heart to love hurting children who were not “mine”? When I look back over my 32 years I can now see……Like Joshua when God called him to take the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua’s whole time with Moses was preparing him to be the one to lead His people. God commanded Joshua to “be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Am I afraid? Am I uncertain, have I had doubt? Yes!! When I think about this enormous calling God has placed on our hearts I can easily falter but then the Holy Spirit reminds me that the Lord my God is with me. The Holy Spirit reminds me of Philippians 1:6 “and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God planted this seed of adoption in my heart long ago and now it has grown. Lord willing 2014 love will cross oceans and we will be flying to China to pick up our daughter. God will be with us wherever we go.