Because We Can

Today was one of those days when I allowed a stray thought -- a very sane one, actually -- to visit my mind.  I considered the thought that some days there is/are already enough __________ (insert word such as craziness, disciplinary issues, teenage attitude, busy-ness, shoes, laundry, etc.) in this family, so why in the world would we purposely ask for more by adopting children into this household???  Are we crazy or what?  And do we have enough seats in the van or will we need to trade for a larger one?

Then I am reminded that God didn't tell us ahead of time what our parenting was going to require and we were still excited to be parents anyway, no matter what was ahead.  Good days and hard days come to everyone.  I've been reading in several of the books and materials recommended to adoptive parents about all the behaviors we should be ready to face.  Frankly, many of them are issues we address with our biological children, and many of the behaviors are rooted in our sinful souls.  I'm not going to get into the adoptee behavior issues any deeper here because I know many troubling behaviors stem from the sinful behaviors of those who were supposed to love and care for these children, leading them to God.  The problems and solutions are very complex.  My point is that we HAVE been thinking about these things and are not going into adoption with any romantic notions.

So the big question is WHY?  Why would we adopt?  I read this post on another adoptive father's blog today, and he summed it up quite well:

We are doing this because we are compelled to. There are two orphans in this world who need a mom and dad.

We are doing this because we can.

Yes, there are many other things we can do that would be much easier on us. We could spend more time and money on ourselves. We can do short term mission trips with the intent of easing our conscience and longing for something greater. We could keep going to church on Sunday mornings convinced that when Jesus told us to take up our cross and follow him, he meant sitting in a pew at church.

But life is not about arriving at death safely. Life is about giving it all. It is about saying thanks to our God who gave us all by giving everything we can for the good of his kingdom.

We will find room for our soon-to-be children in our lives. We will find room for them in our homes. We will try our best to cram them all in (our minivan).

We have already found room for them in our hearts.

We choose this for ourselves because we choose to love, and we are going to let God fill in the rest.

One of the comments following this post makes it even simpler:  they need someone, and none of the reasons that I can come up with to exempt myself ever seem good enough.

(See the full post at the Rainbowkids website or at  http://www.jeremystatton.com/). 

I really couldn't have said it better myself.  That is exactly what is in my heart.  We are willing, and so we keep walking ahead through open doors in faith that God will provide for us and that He is using us to provide for an orphan or two.   God did crazy things for us, and now we want to return the love and do crazy things for Him.  

I have yet to read any exemptions in my Bible for those who do not want to help the widow and the orphan.  Why would I be the first?  God has not forgotten them and I will not either.  Of course, I don't have to adopt, but I want to.  I'm not too old or young, too inexperienced, too unhealthy, or whatever.  I don't have the financial resources maybe, but I will do it in place of someone who has the resources and can't adopt because they ARE one of those things.  I've always been a hand-on person, not a sit-in-the-pew person.

Everyone has a part to play in fulfilling God's command and design to provide for the orphans of this world.  What is your part?