What ADOPTION means to us.

We were asked to speak on adoption at church.

It is an honor, really, 
to represent a face of adoption to our church family.

But, it has left me reeling and searching 
for the words that are worthy of what adoption means to us.

How do I describe the simple verb, adopt, 

in such a way

 that people would understand the magnitude of what it means to us?

 DH introduced our family although most people know us and Sam helped by saying all the bible verses and Joe wrote and spoke from his heart. It was not perfect, I blubbered a bit.  Sam and Joe did awesome though, up in front of that big church. Here is most of what we shared.

One thing I can tell you for certain is that adoption means something entirely different to us now then it did in 2005. 

To back up a bit and help you understand how God lead us to adoption...here was our path. Dan and I had been through fertility treatments with a great team of doctors and the reality of that failing was apparent to us after we had been married a few years in 2004.  We took a few short months off to pray {and recoup financially} for our next option.

It has been made clear that adoption is the right option.

Adoption.

Yes of course.  We were surrounded by adoptions at the time- Our nephew from Russia, cousins from China, cousins adopted domestically.  
Should we have thought of this earlier? 

James 1:27 says

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father

means caring for orphans and widows in their distress

and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

The bible is clear, God's word is clear.  

Adoption was not our last option, it was the right option.  

There were many decisions. 
Questions for which we asked God's guidance,

and support that we needed and received 
from our families and our church family.

And a relationship with God, 

in which we fully trusted his plan was essential.

There have been times along the way, even today, 

that the only thing we had control over 
was the ability to pray 

and 

hand the outcomes over to God.

Matthew 6:25 begins

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life

Families formed by birth, and families formed by adoption 

are families just the same.

And this is where our stories become familiar to the rest of you, the story where your family is knit together by God's plan.  Just like many of you experienced your family being formed by God's hands, our family has experienced the same.  And while our children have special circumstances that might dictate their response to situations, this could be true for each and every child.

2 Corinthians 6:18 reads
And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.

Adoption is forever

But, one thing we know for sure is that we are in this for the long haul.

And there is no place I would rather be.  For us, at home, adoption talk is common and everyday chatter. And it includes words like birth family, foster family, and our favorite forever family.  

Adoption is sensitive, it includes loss.

While there has been great gain in our sons' lives, the reality is that there has also been loss.  God has been ever present and comforting in times we have asked him to console us. And has provided us reassurance when words failed us.  The rest of our story is our boys' story to tell.


Psalm 147:3
He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.


Adoption is about our family and how lucky we are to have each other.

Nothing is perfect, but I can tell you that it feels right for us...
and having a forever family is the best.

And Joe's words that he shared from his heart...
I can not even handle it.  He is precious, I tell ya!