Why Adoption?

First, I'm sure we'll get this question, so I'll just go there...Is it because we can't have more biological children? No. We have no reason to suspect that we couldn't have more biological children.

So why adoption?

Why not?

Sorry, just had to say it. : )

I think the more we fall in love with God and the more we learn about His heart, the more we fall in love with the idea of adoption. The Bible is pretty clear how God feels about orphans:

"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing." - Deut. 10:18

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." - Psalm 68:5

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." - Isaiah 1:17

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" - Matt. 25:34-40

(And that doesn't even cover the fact that as Christians WE'VE been adopted by HIM and are now heirs to His kingdom! That's HUGE!!!)

Okay, maybe I started off a little smart with my response "why not," but really...why not? We have a home with room for more. We have hearts with room for more. And there are something like 140 MILLION orphans around the world just longing for forever families. I really can't even wrap my mind around that number. It's just too big and it makes me feel way too helpless.

But it gets a whole lot more personal when I stop to consider that there's one little child somewhere out there who is hungry and no one comes to feed him. He's scared and no one comforts him. He crawls into bed at night and no one snuggles him, prays with him, asks about his favorite part of his day, and tucks him in. He wakes up wondering if today is the day that he'll find a forever family, but no one comes.

Makes me want to cry just thinking about it.

Yes, I know that there are many great, great folks out there who give everything they have to make orphanages better and safer places, and they work their tails off trying to respond to the kids' needs. (And I already feel grateful for the beautiful souls working in our children's orphanage. They are true heroes to us!) But even the best orphanages in the world pale in comparison to the love that a child would feel in a family.

Kids belong in families. It's really that simple. And that is why we're adopting.

Stay tuned for the next post...Why now?