So this morning I heard a call in radio program on NPR discussing international adoption. After the lady down the road here sent her child back to Russia, these conversations seem to be everywhere. People called in with their horror stories or their perfect stories. Experts weighed in on why Americans adopt out of the states and all the money that changes hands. I know there are kids right here that need a home. I know that foreign governments seem to make money on adoptions. I know that there are unknowns with the kids that come from overseas. I also know that people need to be paid for jobs they are doing. Social work is not a volunteer job. I also know that a child born into a family may be unstable, imperfect physically, mentally or emotionally, and may cost the parents in every way possible. I suppose the glaring elephant in the room is that adoption is a choice. A sort of reaching outside of yourself kind of choice. And really, what is the other choice for the child? A life in an orphanage or institution, starvation, death or worse? They can't exactly reach out of their situations and choose a family. I suppose I'd be lying to say we are not scared at times at all these unknowns. By no means do we know everything there is to know about adopting - just like we did not know everything there is to know about having a child. But really, would we just say, Okay - we don't know all the costs upfront, so you just do your best where you are.... please help us never to be okay with that.... we rely only on Christ, who has given us strength, hope and the right to deny fear and cling to family - a family we are in through His adoption of us. He chose to bring me into His family even with my mental imperfections, physical imperfections, emotional imperfections, my unstable behavior and it actually did cost Him everything.
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father".
Romans 8:15
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