The Weight Of It All

I think everything is  finally sinking in... There is no doubt that adoption is a calling for our family from the Lord. We know that He has already begun a work and is continuing that work in us through this process. Now that we are actually in the process, the weightiness of everything starts to settle in. This by no means diminishes our passion and pursuit of this calling for our lives, it just means that we are more aware of all of the struggles and obstacles that come along with it. I explained it to someone like this... If you've ever prepared for a camping or hiking trip, your bag feels great when your still in your living room. You pack everything you need, put it on to make sure you can handle it... and think, this won't be too bad. Then... the hike actually starts. You get a few miles down the trail and start thinking about how long the trail actually is, and then start contemplating what you might be able to do without. The weight of your pack sinks in and you realize how long of a road you might be on.

Before we began the actual process and everything was still in the "one day" stages, adoption was no big deal, with no paper work to wade through, no waiting lists to get and stay on, and no checks to write. Everything has changed! I can honestly say however, we have never been as excited about adoption. The more we get into it, the more we understand God's heart for orphans and understand the role that church can play. We are so humbled by fact that we get to play a small part in His big story. We are really glad that our children get to be a part of this story as well. Brody asks so many questions now about Africa, and orphans, and clean water... He regularly counts his change in his piggy bank and offers to share everything to get his "baby sister". His eyes are being opened and his heart warmed to something other than the American dream and selfishness. Its got me thinking... maybe this adoption is just as much or more for us as it will be for her...