As Tim and I sort through the mounds of papers and options for adoption agencies, we are forced to ask what child we would like to adopt. What a difficult question this is! We will have to choose where, what gender, what age, and if we are willing to adopt a child with medical issues. The adoption agencies want to know the answers so there is no way around these questions. Isn't there a box to check that just says "We would like to adopt the child God has chosen for us"? Wouldn't that be the easiest thing to do? In my book, YES, but this isn't my book (or blog). This is God's plan and God's chosen child for this family.
My prayer:
Dear Lord, I pray for your direction and answers to these difficult questions. Please open our hearts to hear your direction. We want to follow you with every step. Please don't let us cloud your guidance with our own thoughts and opinions. You are a mighty God that can do so much more than we can imagine so I pray we won't try to put our ideas and our man-made road blocks in the way of your plan for this family. Thank you Lord. Again I thank you for leading us into our unknown so your glory will be what shines through! I love you Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.
I remember feeling overwhlemed with these thoughts and prayers in September/October 2011. My husband and I wondered how could we be the ones to make the choices. The truth is, God makes them, but uses our personalities and instincts to guide us. We researched and talked with a few people further along in the journey. The best advice we received was this was our own journey, one that would not duplicate another. They cautioned us to chose as wisely as possible and to wait for God, as the agency would lead us to the child(ren) God has for our family.
ReplyDeleteAs we researched agencies, we prayed a lot. We knew our priorities and they included that we, as much as possible, avoid any shady dealings and child trafficing. This led us to compare and scrutinize agency fees. We asked a lot of questions of agencies and ran from any who would not engage in clear communication. Our process may not move as fast as other agencies, but we know we will not be asked to pay thousands of extra dollars to "hopefully expedite our dossier" and will not end up paying $500 per month extra for "foster care" fees/per child= $12,000 extra! (These are sadly real examples.)
As far as choosing age/gender/special needs, we made a request based on our family and have trusted the social worker to make appropriate recommendations. We are approved for "up to 2 children, as healthy as possible, ages 3-7," even though we said we would be open to a child with special needs. I know, however, that God will bring to us the child He has chosen, and we trust that more than anything. We will not be surprised if the referral is for a child with these characteristics or a child out of that range with health challenges undetected before we bring him/her home. Ultimately, we know that God will not be limited by human standards and we pray that His will be done!
Blessings and prayers to you as you travel this journey!