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Friday, April 22, 2011

Because He Said So!

James 1:27 says "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

So what does that mean to us?  It means we are gearing up to take a path that may not be a popular one.  I can hear it now "But Lauren, you can't save them all!", "Don't you have enough kids?", "Can you guys really handle this financially?".  Here's the thing:  I don't have all the answers.  What I do have is a heart for orphans and the oppressed and an overwhelming desire to do something about it.  What I do have is a God that's done nothing less that prove to me time and time again that He will make a way.  It's easy to stay comfortable but I've found that God does most of His most impressive work when we are out of our comfort zones and we have nothing else to rely on but Him.  I'm ready to take that, terrifying, heart stopping leap of faith that even though this decision defies all reason and logic, I know it's the right thing for our family.  Somewhere out there is our little one struggling to survive and just as if one of our biological children were out there, I plan to do what it takes to bring them home. 
Most of you know that I've been talking about adoption for quite some time.  I bring it up every once an a while but now I believe it's time to move.  It's time to make those dreams of mine a reality.
Some of you may be asking at this point "How does Rich feel about all of this?".  Well...he feels scared...just like I do.  International adoptions are super expensive and home studies can be really invasive.  We currently don't have a big enough house to be approved for anything and would have to wrestle with military housing to give us an exception to policy to move.  We have some things in our past that could hinder us from even being able to adopt from certain countries.  Rich is still in school and he's still struggling with getting into a couple of programs to further his career.  Scared is an understatement for us!  I remember hearing a quote from Joyce Meyer one time that "if God calls you to do something and you are afraid to do it, you do it afraid". 
I sincerely hope that our family and friends support us during this process.  In case you are curious, the current recommendation by the last adoption agency that I have been in talks with is that we are best suited for African adoption (Ethiopia, Uganda or Ghana) or Bulgarian adoption. 
So what can you all do now to support us?  PRAYER!  We are in the very early stages of this process and a lot of decisions still need to be made.  I will definitely keep you all posted.

4 comments:

  1. I'm so incredibly blessed to call you my friend!! I know God has amazing plans for your family. Love you!

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  2. This is so exciting, Lauren! I'm behind you guys in prayer! And oh my... a piece of my heart is in Africa and I've never even been there! :) I've always wanted to go. But anyways, I'm stoked to read about your journey!

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  3. That is so awesome, Lauren! I feel the same way about adoption. I would really like to adopt a little boy but don't know how on earth we could afford it. If each Christian family would trust God and adopt 1 child think of how many children could be safe and loved..... Anyway, I pray that you feel God's guidence, strength and provisions while you begin this journey. I pray that you see His hand work mightily in all situations.

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  4. I will be praying for you and your family as you embark on this amazing journey!! Your family will be so blessed! Our journey adding to our family has not always been easy but it has been a blessing in so many ways!

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