Thursday, September 14, 2017

On the Road Again: WHY? Just WHY?

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No, I don't mean some fantastic road trip across country, seeing the sights... though that would be really fun.  As I posted on Facebook last week, we're on the road to adoption once again.  Yes, we are hoping to welcome a third...or fourth..or... child into our family via adoption.

You may have a few questions:  Aren't five children enough?  Aren't you and Sean, uh, getting up there in age?  Will it be another baby or an older child?  Don't you ever look forward to having an empty nest?  WHY?  Just WHY?

I'll start with the last question first then answer the others in upcoming posts.

We do this because we believe we are called to walk out God's command to care for the fatherless in this way (James 1:27).  So many scripture passages give testimony to God's love for the orphan (Psalm 68:5; Job 29:12; Psalm 10:14).  However, while not everyone is called to adopt, we are all called to care for the fatherless, and this is our way of doing that.  We desire to open our hearts and our home to a child who needs the love and security of a forever family.  We want to share the Gospel with a child, so that he or she will one day come to faith in Christ and share that faith with others, including his/her birth family.

SO MANY children are in need of Christian families to love and care for them.  SO MANY.  Seriously.  In this country alone, over 100,000 children in foster care are freed for adoption, awaiting their forever family (https://www.adoptuskids.org/meet-the-children/children-in-foster-care/about-the-children).  These children are free, meaning the birth parents' parental rights have already been terminated.  Some wait and wait and wait and eventually age out of foster care, left without the intimate support system of a family that many of us take for granted.

On the other hand, each year over 18,000 infants are found adoptive homes through private domestic infant adoption programs (https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/how-to-adopt/domestic-adoption-myths-and-truths/).  Even so, there is still a need for adoptive parents, specifically Black couples, who are willing to throw their hats in the ring.  Too often, Black birthmothers who seek Black parents for their child are unable to choose a Black family because the agency does not have any on their list of waiting families.  We hope to fill some of that void even if it's just in one agency.

Maybe the Lord is calling you to do the same.  Please prayerfully consider it.  The Lord uses us as His hands and feet in this broken world.  The children need you!  ~In Christ, Talya

COMING SOON:  Aren't Five Children Enough?