For those who have ever considered adoption.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending ladies bible study. Something I haven't done in a few weeks because I was keeping Annabel home in order to keep her from getting sick right before surgery. Mark came home and watched her for a couple of hours and I cherished the fact I was able to go. We watched a video by Billy Grahams daughter. I am sure God spoke to everyone differently in that video and sometimes it isn't always so clear what He is trying to say to us. For me yesterday it was clear as day. So forgive me if you may have heard me talk about adoption once or twice (haha) but here I go again. The video was on heaven and that it is a real place and how we spend so much time here on earth worrying about earthly things that aren't going to mean anything once we pass on. It really made me stop and think about what I am doing here on earth that is going to have an eternal influence. I kept going back in my mind to adoption. Not that "adopting" will get you in heaven. Because the bible tells us we don't go to heaven on works, but through a personal relationship with God. But the entire process of adoption and the outcome is definitely going to have an eternal impact. I started thinking about what would have happened to Annabel had she not been adopted. She would probably never grow up having a relationship with God. But now she will and I pray her children will and her grandchildren will. What a small sacrifice for us to make in order for generations to come to have a relationship with Christ and spend eternity in Heaven. I then started thinking about all the people in my life who would make such great adoptive parents and foster parents. The last statistic I read said there were 140 million children in the world who need homes. These children don't have what our children have....parents, a home, a future. How many times have we found ourselves thinking about helping a child but then we come up with these words..... I don't have enough money, enough bedrooms, my kids are too young right now, my kids are too old right now, we need a more stable job, I am too old, too tired, too young....etc. I know because some of those are things Mark and I said when we first talked about adoption 10 or so years ago. It was a conversation in passing that went as quickly as we spoke it. It is amazing how God doesn't concern Himself with those things. He is in the miracle making business and He will provide a way for a willing heart. We just have to have the heart to want to love another child. And for those that think you can't love a child who doesn't have your blood. Let me tell you that is the best miracle of them all. The moment your child is placed in your arms none of that matters. They are YOURS!!! That love is developed through photographs before you even receive your child. Amazing how God works isn't it?? It's important to remember that God chose that child to be in your home long before you may have even considered it. The bible tells us to take care of the orphans. It is a biblical command. That alone stands on it's own. Is our life easy? No!! But who's is? We might be a little more tired from time to time and yes we are starting over with little ones. But I can tell you we are sooooo blessed. All this time I have been searching for my purpose in life. Like we all do. Well I found it. It is to advocate for these little ones who so desperately need us. I don't know if others think about this but I think about if something were to happen to Mark and I and all of a sudden our children were placed in an orphanage without a future, I would hope and pray that someone was willing to shake up their lives a bit in order to take care for them and give them a future. If you are looking for fulfillment in your life....this could be it for you. God has blessed us ten times more then we have blessed Annabel. And now Jacob is getting ready to join our family. Do I think about "how am I going to do this with two little ones?" Not really. I think about the joy he is going to bring into our home. I have told Mark for months now that I know Jacob will not be the last. I believe in my heart God has another little girl for our family. I really do. And I know whoever that is will bless us as well. So if there is any part of you that has ever thought of or considered adoption...please ask. Ask me or someone else you know who has adopted. It doesn't happen over night. It takes months and sometimes a year or two to finally meet your child. So if your life isn't quite ready for another child it is ok because God gives you the time you need to prepare. But part of that preparation is asking and getting started. Ok I am going to get off of my adoption soapbox. I just pray daily that another family would say yes. Say yes to helping a child have a future. Whether it be from the US or overseas. Every child deserves a home no matter where they were born. One of the best blessings we have gotten in all of this was when we were at Joey's school reading a story he wrote that was stapled on the wall in the hallway. He wrote that one day he wanted to get married and have several children with his wife. He also wrote he wanted to adopt several children. I am so happy that our kids are seeing at such a young age that blood relation doesn't matter. What matters is the love and you can love anyone that you allow yourself to love. I am not blood related to my husband but I love him. Many have step children and grandchildren that may not be blood related, but they are loved none the less. It is the same. My prayer right now is that if there is any part of your heart thinking about adoption or foster care that you act on that thought. God put it there for a reason and is just waiting for you to move on it. It will be the most incredible journey of your life. I read a statistic that said if 7% of Christians opened their home to a child that there would be no orphans. WOW!!!!! That is incredible. Could you be in that 7%?????? God Bless!!