We thought about adopting, but...

We began the adoption process over 10 months ago, and, during that time, I have been surprised by the number of people who have told me, "Yeah, we thought about adopting, but..." or "My husband and I wanted to adopt, but..." or even, "I wanted to adopt, but my husband/wife didn't want to." And the more God teaches me about adoption, the sadder I become by those confessions, not only for the child who may have missed out on a forever family, but also, for the family who missed out on the adoption experience.

When God put the desire to adopt in our hearts eleven years, I saw it as a chance to save a child.  And, of course, adoption absolutely changes a life forever.  But God is teaching me that it is SO much more than that.  He is teaching me that adoption is a chance to experience Him, to walk in His ways, to become more like Him.

In Galatians 4:4-6, He tells us,

" But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

Over and over in His Word, He expresses His love for orphans.  He calls Himself the "Father to the Fatherless."  He tells us that He "delights in setting the lonely in families."  In John, He promises not to leave us as orphans.  This is God's heart.  He cares for the fatherless, the widow, the poor, the needy, the down-trodden.  In Isaiah 61:1-3 and again in Luke 4, Jesus tells us His mission: to preach the good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and recovery of sight for the blind, and to set free those who are oppressed.  He has come to give beauty for ashes, gladness for mourning, peace for despair.

If this is Christ's mission, and we are Christ-followers, can we do anything less??  In 1 John 2:6, it says "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did."

Kerry Hasenbalg of Show Hope said this in one of her devotions:

"Somewhere along the line, I unconsciously began living the lie that says learning about God, singing about God, and speaking about God is more important than walking like Him.  Like so many well-intentioned Christians before me, I had thought I could live out my Christianity in church buildings, in Bible studies, and among friends.  I had anticipated a comfortable future of growing and learning and discussing and growing some more.  But as I took small steps of obedience, God kept leading me into the fields of the fatherless and the widow, the needy and the marginalized."

I think so many of us, including and especially me, bought the same lie.  That is why our churches are so inward-focused.  We show up every time the doors are open, and we sign up for every Bible study offered.  We learned more and more about Him, but we fail to DO what He did. 

 

In July of 2010, I began reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan as a part of a church Bible study.  This book was so challenging to me.  I knew that I was not living with reckless abandonment in obedience to Christ, but my heart cried out to Him because I truly wanted to live that way. I wanted to because I learned that if we do, "then we, too, will see His glory. We will see Him do the impossible."  He revealed to me that I did not love Him with this "crazy love" nor did I love others in this way.  My heart was broken.  I confessed this to the Lord.  I asked Him to break my heart wide open, and fill it with Him. 

On July 21, I recorded this in my journal:  "Please show me how to love others like You do.  I am too selfish. My heart is too hard.  I beg You not to let me go another minute like this. I don't have the strength or ability to change.  I don't like it.  I am afraid of it (change).  But, please, Lord, I want to be like You.  Change me. Make me like You.  Help me get my eyes off of myself, my needs.  Lord, I know that I am praying according to Your will.  You want to help me.  Therefore, I know that You hear my plea. I thank You that you are going to help me.  Lead me each minute.  Guide me in Your paths.  Beginning right now."

The next day, I recorded this from A.W. Tozer: 

"Begin in mercy a new work of love within me."

Two journal entries later, I have a concert ticket inserted into my journal.  It was the ticket from the Steven Curtis Chapman concert where God called us to adoption.

God heard my desperate cry.  He answered with the call to care for the orphan.  He said, "You want to love like I do?  Then follow in My steps.  That is where You will find me, among the least of the least."
 

Steven Curtis Chapman sums it up best: 

"I had said I wanted to find God and He answered by showing me that He is there, right where He said he would be, among the poor, the needy, the orphan - the least of the least. We pray for revival," he says, "we pray for God to move in powerful, earth-shattering ways, and I believe God is saying, 'I want to show up infinitely more that you want Me to show up.'  I believe the millions of waiting children represent innumerable opportunities for God to show up and reveal His glory through us, His church.  And that's the invitation from God, 'Come and know Me, and I will make Myself known to you, members of My body, the church, as you care for orphans in their distress.' "

God is showing me through His Word, that He does indeed have a plan to care for orphans.  WE ARE THE PLAN.  I am excited to be on this journey to my daughter because in finding her, I find Him. 

It has not been an easy road many days, but God's path usually isn't.  His call came at a time when we had the least time, the least energy, and, for sure, the least money.  Francis Chan said this:  "God doesn't call us to be comfortable.  He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through."  I can't say that we were "unafraid" to put ourselves in this situation, but we had no doubt that we would be in trouble if God didn't come through!  But praise God, we said yes to His call, and He has been faithful every step of the way!  

He has begun "a new work of love within me" just as I have asked., and I am "confident of this, that he who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:6)

"In coming to know orphans, I have come to know God

in a whole new way.  By obeying His word and

stepping out to bless the fatherless, God's Word has come alive,
and I have been the one most blessed," (Hasenbalg).

This is my hope and prayer.  I want to experience Him, to walk in His ways, to become more like Him.  He has called me to care for the fatherless, and I am so very thankful He did.