Adoption: One Small Step of Obedience at a Time
Thank you to a family currently in our India program for this encouraging testimony!
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord for that is right.†We have been going through this verse a lot with our 3 year old son lately. After a particularly difficult day my son turned to my husband and said, “Daddy, it’s hard to obey.†Boy is he right.
When faced with a call to obey, I can’t help but think of Jonah and his response. He didn’t just tell God no, he ran in the opposite direction. We like to talk down about Jonah for that, but don’t we so often do the same? We hear the still small voice of the Lord call us to obey and we come up with excuses, we retreat in fear or just freeze due to the sheer magnitude of the task. We always response to God’s call for obedience, but the way we respond either embraces His plan or runs from it. My husband and I were faced with just such a choice. God stirred in our hearts a call to step out in faith and pursue adoption. We were excited but had lots of questions and fears. Where would we get the money to adopt? What would this look like? Adoption can be overwhelming at first glance, but I want to encourage you to instead look at it as one small step of obedience at a time. As I share a couple of stories from our journey, I hope our story will bring encouragement and perhaps will spur you on to obey the call to care for the fatherless.
God laid a passion for India on our hearts many years before we actually started our journey. Despite the clear call, he did not grant us a “Yes†until November of 2011. Our initial step of faith came when we began our adoption journey by paying off outstanding credit card debt. That debt could have easily been an excuse for us, but instead the Lord used it as a chance for us to take a first step of obedience. Taking a part time job to pay off that debt was not in my original plan, but the Lord blessed that small step of faith. After a little over a year of working, the debt was paid in full in the same month India re-opened for international adoptions in February of 2013. Was that a coincidence? I think not.
Our second small step of faith was just being willing to start. When the India program re-opened, it did so only to families willing to pursue waiting children (special needs). This was not in our original plan either, but through prayer and seeking the Lord, we determined that it was in His plan. So we emptied our savings account to pay for the initial fee knowing that the Lord would provide the rest. The whirlwind of saving, fundraisers and grant applications consumed this season of our lives, but God’s faithfulness was more than we could imagine. In a years’ time, He fully funded our entire adoption; every single penny. Through the graciousness of friends, family, complete strangers and through numerous grants He has poured out His wealth all for a little one we have yet to meet.
As of January of this year, we were matched with a beautiful little girl and are currently waiting on the various approvals in India before we can bring her home. I could share story after story of God’s faithfulness being displayed in her story, but this blog post would never end. My heart for anyone reading our story is that they would not let anything keep them from obeying God. If He calls your family to care for the fatherless, all He asks is for obedience. In our weakness, fear and trembling we begin to take small, staggering steps of faith. God meets us in our obedience and reveals His greatness in the lives of our families. Take a deep breath, step out and watch God weave a story greater than anything you could have imagined. Yes obedience is hard but dear brothers and sisters, it is worth it!