Our Feelings on Adoption

I stumbled on this blog from another friend's blog. http://www.wearegraftedin.com/

As I was scrolling through it I stumbled on this post titled "Enough".  This is how Bill & I feel about adoption.  I know I could have not said it any better than this person. 

As with this person, it bothers me when people give me a "weird" look or even have a negative comment when I even suggest that we might adopt again.  They will say with a high pitch voice "WHAT?" and then usually follow up with a "you guys are crazy" or "You are such good people".

I guess I could answer "yes" to both of those comments.  But, it still bothers me.  I know I should not let it.  We know our heart.  We know why we want to adopt more children.  And not everyone gets it.  Not everyone has the love for the orphans like we do.  I am so very thankful that through adoption, we have met so many wonderful families who do "get it" and who are "crazy" like we are.  Because then I don't feel so alone.

This past weekend was rough for Bill & I.  We were praying about a child who needs a family.  And we almost signed the papers to be her family.  We were that close.  But I felt she was not our daughter.  While talking to another adoption friend, just asking her for advice on an older child adoption, we found out that their family was the perfect family for this precious girl.

I love seeing God work.  He is in the miracle business.  And what happened over the past few days was a miracle.  And I can see God's hand in this adoption starting from 2 years ago, when Bill went to China with Bring Me Hope.  That got us talking about an older child adoption.  That week in China made us realize that yes, we will adopt an older child.  And when "our plan" of adopting an older child did not work out, God made sure that we found Ethan.  If we would not have found Ethan, and if all of his paperwork did not go "as God planned", then we would not have traveled in Jan and we would not have met this family.  If we would not have met them, then I would not have emailed them asking for advice, and they would not have known about this precious girl that they hope to soon call their daughter.

Even though we did not adopt this girl, she did get us talking again about adopting an older child.  We do feel confident that we will adopt an older child.  Maybe not today, or next month.  But we do feel that this will happen.  I do believe that this precious child was our "wake up" call.  We've been so preoccupied with bonding with Ethan, all of his surgeries etc that we have not even really thought about adding another child to the family.  But now that surgeries are finally behind us, and we are able to sit back and take a breath, well this is when we are hearing God speak.

So who knows what the future holds for us.  We do feel that our family is not complete.  We do feel that we will adopt again.  And then maybe again, and again, and again.  I just pray that God will protect us from the people who think we are "crazy".  Or at least give me the right words to say to witness to them about adoption.

Thanks for listening to me go on and on.   :-)