Adoption - It Changed Us!

Today we celebrate ADOPTION.  

November is Adoption Awareness month and today is

 Orphan Sunday. 

 I have been reflecting on what God has done in my life and in our whole family through adoption.

Back in 2010......

God had it on my heart to adopt,

Charlie did NOT have it on his heart (yet).

At.all!

 Charlie went to Uganda and met Esther, and God put it on his heart to adopt.

 BIG.TIME.

God provided for every single thing we needed to go get our girl.

The money, the courage, the faith and perseverance, the joy, the people, the paperwork, the mountains MOVED that needed moved!

All.of.it!  

We learned the beauty of saying "yes" to God.

We got blessed in ways we can't even count or explain.

We got a daughter and a whole new life and family.

We  got to be part of what God was doing.....and it changed all of our lives for the better, and forever.

We can not imagine our lives without our Ugandan daughter.

Then in 2013....
God  blessed us with Mikiyas, the most amazing Ethiopian son.  

We have learned that saying "yes" to God comes with 
huge challenges and huger blessings.

Adoption has opened our eyes and our hearts in ways that we were blind and closed to.

Adoption is by far one of the hardest things and the greatest things God has allowed us to be a part of. 

 There is not one day that goes by that we don't rely on the Lord for strength and LOVE to parent.

If we would have said,
 "no"

 it's too hard,

 too expensive,

 too scary,

 too risky,
too......(any other excuse)

 we would have missed out on some of God's biggest blessings to us and to many others that have fallen in love with these kids.

 These kids have brought us all closer to our Lord and to one another.

 It is not perfect and the story is not over, but it is crazy amazing, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Adopting has brought the gospel to life for me; and the scriptures about God adopting me into his family, have new meaning. 

We have been graciously blessed with 2 adopted kids to raise (so far), and we have adopted Claiborne and Simon into our hearts as if they were ours.

  We provide what we can, when we can, and we love them and pray for them as one of our own. 

Ephesians 1:3-6English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[a] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Romans 8:15English Standard Version (ESV)

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry,

 “Abba! Father!”

I can't imagine my life without one of these kids.

  I am so grateful to God for putting each of these adopted loves in my life and in my heart.