Adoption

For the past several years, I have thought about adoption. I didn't have a big magical moment where I thought it'd be a good idea, but watching a few families around me go thru the process was a huge part of my understanding of it.

I don't feel that every person is supposed to adopt. Just like I don't think every person is supposed to live overseas. But I think everyone (believers) should be involved and play a role somehow.

About a year ago, i was looking for books to read about adoption to learn more about the subject and hopefully be more prepared whenever the time comes. This book came very highly recommended.

(If you have adopted, what books/resources do you recommend?)

I'm in the middle of reading it now. There have already been several times that i just wanted to walk away and quit reading. Moore brings to life the reality of the conditions that most orphans are currently living in and the cruelty they are subjected to. It's been painful to read. I don't want to think about it. It's easier to ignore it. But I can't. There has been one passage in particular that keeps haunting me. I know that I can't solve the world's problems or adopt every single child, but i can do something.

Moore says (page 83)

"Think of the plight of the orphan somewhere right now out there in the world. It's not just that she's lonely. It's that she has no inheritance, no future. With every passing year, she's less "cute," less adoptable. In just a few years, on her eighteenth birthday, she'll be expelled from the orphanage or from "the system." What will happen to her then?

Maybe she'll join the military or find job training. Maybe she'll stare at a tile on the ceiling above her as her body is violated by a man who's willing to pay her enough to eat for a day, alone in a back alley or in front of a camera crew of strangers. Maybe she'll place a revolver in her mouth or tie a rope around her neck, knowing no one will have to deal with her.

Can you feel the force of such desperation?

Jesus can."

Those are hard words to read.

It's easier to ignore it and go on with life. But thinking of the millions of children who are living without a family, without love, and without the necessities of life is not okay. It's inhuman.

When Daniel and I were dating, the subject we talked the most about was adoption. It's something we both have felt led to do as individuals and now as a married couple. We're not sure about all the details, the timing, and all that. But it's something we are being led by Father to do.

This past month we officially started our "adoption fund."!!!!!!  It's not a lot, but it's something, and it's exciting! Most likely it will be a few years before we adopt, but i love knowing that somewhere a child is a little closer to having a family and people that love them.

love

Laura