Adoption: Desire vs. Cost
Adoption is a very complicated topic. There are so many different forms of adoption: international, domestic, private, attorney, foster-to-adopt, stepchild adoption, etc. Some people love adoption, other people believe do not, and unless you have done it, it is hard to fully understand.
Biblically, the doctrine of adoption is awesome, and it has been referred to as "The Sweetest Doctrine" as it describes how we, mere humans, have been welcomed into the family of GOD as sons and daughters.
We often try to compare human adoption to the way that GOD adopts us, but that comparison only goes so far. It is similar to trying to describe GOD's fatherhood by comparing it to our own Dad or explaining the Trinity by saying it is like water exists as gas, liquid, and solid...It is not even close to sufficient.
Our desire to adopt did not stem from wanting to "save" anyone. Our desire for adoption, which started before we were even married, came from our desire to love. To love GOD, to love our children, and to love them regardless of how they became a part of our family.
Before we adopted Sophie, however, our desire to adopt met the cost of adoption. When we first saw that it was going to cost more than $30,000 I almost gave up immediately. Then, I saw the mounds and mounds of paperwork and I was even more ready to throw in the towel. This is not hyperbolae, I really did not want to do it anymore, I didn't think we could.
I remember this specifically, Jess looked at everything that needed to be done and she said, "I got this." I am ashamed to say that I was defeated before we even started, but when Jess said that, it was immediately a no-brainer. Her statement gave me more courage than I could describe here, and ever since then, when it comes to taking care of children, nothing has seemed impossible ever again.
You may be like me. You may have a desire to adopt, you may know there are millions of kids out there who need a family, and you may have even taken the first step and been blown away by everything that needed to be done.
I want to be completely honest here, these things are all true:
1. We could not afford 1 adoption (and yes, each of our adoptions have cost at least the average mentioned above), we have received exactly $2,500 in grants total over the past 10 years, and because of All Things New, this current adoption is the first time we have even fundraised for an adoption.
2. All 3 adoptions to date (and I am sure this 4th will be too) have been very different and challenging in their own ways.
3. Ezekyal's adoption, from start to finish, was nothing short of a miracle. At least 10 different things that never should have happened, happened. It is one of those stories that I just hold in my heart as an amazing gift from GOD.
The truth is, we should not have been able to start All Things New. We should not have been able to afford Sophie's adoption let alone 2 more. Ezekyal should, in no way, have been living with us for his whole life and have a finalized adoption, but guess what...
9 years ago, when we were starting our first adoption, Jess made this one statement that made me realize these things were possible. She looked at the mound of paperwork, the total cost, and the timeframe we had to finish and she said:
"I got this."
It was not arrogant. It was all because she knew GOD was calling us to it, and if He was involved, it was going to be accomplished.
Here is the thing, if GOD is calling you to do something like this:
"You got this."
Hopefully you are like I was 9 years ago and these words can give you the courage and strength that they gave me, because from then on GOD did and continues to do incredible things.