The "Plan"

So, apparently in my excitement I have been a little vague, so I thought I would take a chance to share our hearts. As mentioned in our announcement post for years we have wanted more children. Adoption always seemed like an incredible option, but just not the one for us. I loved watched friends and strangers document their adoption journeys. I was encouraged by so many miracles done on their behalf, and would always share it with Dane. But once again, it just wasn't the calling we felt. In fact, I think we were almost more guarded about it, because face it: we wanted another child, and adoption gives you one. But knowing that we knew that God would have to make it completely obvious to us if we were to ever move forward with adoption.

Well, that's exactly what happened. On January 1st our niece shared with us a need to adopt a yet to be born little boy. We immediately jumped at it, and began praying fervently for him and for his mother. Fast forward, and as it stands right now God is doing a work in that mother's heart and she is fighting to straighten her life out and raise her son. 

However, we fell in love with that little boy, simply by investing in him through prayer, and we knew that the Lord was whispering to our hearts. So much about it felt absolutely right and we made the decision to move forward as long as the Lord opened the doors. We decided to work with Adoption Associates out of Michigan because we have a number of friends who have used them. We are joining the African American infant program and Lord willing we'll be adding to our family sometime with the next 15 months (hopefully sooner)! 

I also felt like I have to give an answer as to why we are doing a domestic adoption versus international. I guess the answer is two fold. First, the wait time and cost can be less; and secondly, because I have been that mom. At seventeen, I was faced with the decision of raising my baby, aborting her, or putting up for adoption.  For me the choice was raising her. But I remember thinking that I simply wanted a "do over." I knew that whatever choice I made it would be permanent, and it having to make a choice was inevitable. It feels so full circle to be in the position of offering one of those options to another mom. I can not imagine the love, selflessness, and courage our baby's mother is going to have in order to give us our baby. Mind blowing. In 2008, there were 1.21 million abortions in the US. That number is staggering. 1.21 million babies gone. Over a million women making a life changing decision that they will have to wrestle with for the rest of their lives. Our baby will not be one of those statistics. Even now my heart goes out to our birthmother. Sometime soon she will be making what will undoubtedly be the most difficult decision of her life. She is constantly in my prayers. Please pray for her too if you think of it.

So this is our story, our plan... of course God will be the One to direct our steps. But we are so hopeful and excited, and so clear that this is where the Lord is leading us right now. There are so many unknowns for us, and I am reminded to simply do what comes next and not get overwhelmed by the big picture. One last thing, we are so excited to see how God uses this in YOUR life! What? In MY life you say?! Absolutely, as I mentioned before I have been so encouraged by other people's stories, and we pray that others are encouraged by ours. We want to see others (especially those who live in our area) take this journey with us, we want to see others make the choice to step out in faith if the Lord is calling them to adopt. One verse that was mentioned to me by a friend when we started this journey was Matthew 25:40: 

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.

Read that carefully... inasmuch as ye have done it UNTO ONE of the least of these... Even just to ONE and we have done it to Christ. That amazes me. We have the opportunity to serve and minister to our King by taking care of ONE of the least. What a privilege!