adoption

So, I've had lots of conversations with people about this thing called adoption. I've heard a lot of times about what "good" people we must be. Well, I like to think that we are basically "good" people, of course, but there is a lot of good out there, folks! I don't necessarily feel like we are good because we are wanting to adopt. Being good is really not that hard.

Another thing that people say is, "you must have a big heart". Well, those who know me, know that I have a BIG something.................but, we all have the same amount of heart space for love capacity. Being a Christian---a Christ-follower-- multiplies our heart capacity, but people LOVE in different ways. So, no, I don't really fell like we have bigger hearts than anyone else.

Now, I don't want to sound like I don't appreciate the comments of folks who say things like that, because I do. It reaffirms our decision to do this. However, I do have a few thoughts on the subject.

1. Because we obey, we reach God's goals. We are simply obeying what we feel like God is asking of us at this moment. We each are given tasks to do, some much, much harder than adopting. Like our friends Joel and Charlotte who moved their five kids to Brazil to be missionaries. Now, that, my people, IS WHAT I CALL A GOOD THING. I don't want to go there--do you?

2. I think our actions are selfish. What do I mean by that? Well, our actions are certainly not self-less. We are expecting something out of this experience. We aren't willing to take "just any child", but we do know that we want the child God has picked out for us. And, we are looking at this opportunity as a blessing TO us, not as a blessing FROM us. We certainly hope to bless some child's life---I hope we are blessing the lives of any child we touch--even Shea, Stevie, and Luke-- but we want another child and cannot physically have one. Therefore, we are hoping to receive as much if not more than to give.

Children are a blessing FROM the Lord. Parents are just the vehicle he uses to raise them properly. Sometimes, parents are incapable of doing that, and that's where we hope to step in.

Does any of that make sense? I guess, it is just embarrassing to me to be told I am doing something amazing when, in essence, I believe that in the long run......the blessings will be mine.