I know everyone can relate to this statement: “It’s just been one of those mornings!” As a parent, sometimes it’s difficult getting your kiddos up and around in a peaceful, happy manner. Sometimes, just collecting everything you need for your day or getting where you’re trying to go is a struggle. However, today was a much different morning for this momma. Before 9am I was on a emotional roller coaster only The Lord Himself could stop.
I sat down with my morning coffee to get in The Word, but instead I went to social media. Big mistake, yet blessing in disguise….I read a blog by a woman who has adopted from Africa and it was a very honest and candid post about the difficulties of the first two years. I was immediately flooded with tons of emotions: fear, anxiety, and doubt. However, I’m learning not to be naive about adoption and to appreciate the openness of the true struggles it will entail.
With a heavy heart I went back to the task at hand…getting into The Lord’s presence! I opened my daily devotional which was titled, “Feeling for Others – Part 1.” In short, this message was just for me this morning! It was about having compassion for those in pain and need…
The closing prayer was: “Heavenly Father, give ME the compassion YOU have and show to others – help me to cry with those who weep! In Jesus’ Name, Amen”.
It struck me while I was reading this, and even just when I saw the title in my inbox, adoption is not just about giving an orphan(s) a home it’s about crying with them during their grief, holding them in their fear, & smiling with them in their joys.
We’ve signed up for something much greater than just adding to our family….we’ve signed up for the ups and downs of helping heal the brokenness of this world. Many adopted children deal with abandonment, sorrow, and anger that was unfairly put on their little lives because of the fallen world we live in.
After pondering Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn”, I opened my email to find a truly God-sent piece of information. I know learning our Congolese children’s language is a must, for us, and that bringing their culture into our home will be a key as well….so I’d been doing research on tutors and international students in our area from The Congo.
A huge weight was lifted when I read that Norman, Oklahoma has a French and African Language Center! For a girl who struggled in school and with languages, even her own, I felt like The Lord was just wrapping His arms around me saying, “You’re not going to do this alone, I will guide your path and give you strength and wisdom greater than you could ever imagine!”
Our agency and adoption community has been so helpful in helping get us on the right path of preparation, for example, I read one adoptee’s perspective that began with this piece of wisdom, “Adoption is not possible without loss.” It doesn’t matter how old your children are or if they have living parents or not, they’ve all lost something to get to the point of adoption. Love isn’t going to be enough, weathering the storm with them will play a huge role.
We’re about to embark on a journey of healing, transition, struggle, great joys, and so much more but God doesn’t call the equipped he equips the called!! So, what did The Lord teach me before 9am this morning?
- We will stand firm in His calling, “To look after the orphans in their distress…” James 1:27
- We will pray fervently for strength and wisdom to love, cherish, and mold our family into the blessings He has planned for us
- We will believe that The Lord can and will do miracles in all four of our children’s lives, as well as our own, that no psychologist, doctor, or social worker could ever understand
- We will study and learn about the possible struggles that lie ahead, but we will have faith that The Lord has called us to this purpose to bring glory to His name!
We are all adopted into the family of God when we choose to believe in His son Jesus Christ so the challenges of adoption are nothing a Christian hasn’t faced before.
Life in the Mystery 