While we have not finalized Joy’s adoption in court, she has become our daughter in our hearts. We cannot imagine our lives without her. Her spunky nature has brought so much fullness into our lives and it has been such an honor to be a part of the amazing transformation in Joy over this past year.
When we began Joy’s adoption, I never dreamed that God would radically change my life the way He did. Our family took a very huge step of faith, both financially and emotionally when we began the process to adopt Joy. And God provided every step of the way. We had the money when we needed it. We had the strength when we needed it. He provided for every little detail, and in the process He stretched our faith. God is quite funny that way. I thought my faith had been stretched enough, but it seems God has other ideas. God has been stirring our hearts toward adopting again. At first we thought about adopting through the US foster care system. It would be much easier financially. We would have to travel. The process would be much, much simpler in many ways. However, just last week, I found a little boy who needs a home on a special focus list from China, and I cannot quit thinking about him. It would cost around $30,000.00 to adopt him and I was told the process would only take about 10-12 months. There is no possible way for us in and of ourselves to come up with that kind of cash! It seems impossible. It is quite daunting and it seems absolutely CRAZY! While I can’t say for sure that God has called us to adopt this little boy, God does specialize in things that are impossible without Him. Pray for us! We desperately need guidance and direction! Whether or not God is calling us to adopt this little boy, I know in our hearts He is calling us to adopt again someday!
It would be so much easier to say no. It would be so much easier to say we have done our part. It would be so much easier to continue on with our lives the way we are and look the other way. But God does not tell us to live comfortable lives.
It would be so much easier to NOT have to fill out the mounds of paperwork again. Or complete home study visits and background checks and FBI fingerprinting. Or travel to a foreign country. It would be so much simpler to NOT have to cry and pray and try to come up with $30,000. Or fill out 100 applications for grants. Or sacrifice our vacation, lattes at Starbucks, and anything else we can come up with to save money. Or do a ton of fundraisers.
It would be so much easier to NOT have to try to integrate another child into our family. And deal with the child’s grief of leaving behind the life he never knew. And deal with a slew of emotional unknowns. And deal with the growing pains associated with adding another family member.
Although a big part of me does NOT want to go through the international adoption process again, there is a part of me that is excited to see what God can do. I feel Him telling me, “Trust me. The money is just a drop in the bucket to me. Trust me. The sacrifices you make will be worth it all.”
While it would be so much easier to just continue life as a family of 5, I don’t want to live an easy life. I want live my life to the fullest, following Him every step of the way. I want to know God and trust Him in ways I have never trusted Him before. I want to see Him do the miraculous. Please pray with us as we continue on this journey of faith. If we decide God is calling us to adopt this little boy from China, it will be the biggest step of faith we have ever taken and we need clear confirmation whether or not this is what God wants us to do. Thank you for your prayers as we continue to seek God's will for our family!
