Why Not Adopt Special Needs?

by Jodi Smith     

“WHY?†         

I know that was the question most people were thinking when we told them the news, and a few even asked it out loud. Why would we adopt a baby when we already had four children of our own? We had two boys and two girls, the perfect combination, so why would we want to change that? Our youngest was 8 years old, why would we choose to go back to the baby stage? Why make such a drastic and unnecessary change to our busy family? Why choose a child with special needs on purpose?

I would like to ask another question, “WHY NOT?â€

This is my initial response to all of the questions. Why not add to our family? Why not give a forever home to a child who desperately needs one? Why not be blessed in sharing in the life of another child? Why not experience another personality, another set of opinions, another laugh, another set of cheeks to kiss and another set of arms to enjoy a big hug from? 

So we prayed and God blessed abundantly and answered in a mighty way. He took our doubts and fears and showed us over and over again His grace and plans. He provided financially in ways that still cause us to look back in wonderment. He opened our hearts to this little girl when she was still just a picture on the computer. We thought we could help change the life of a child, but she is the one who is changing us.

I read in the Bible that God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called and that is exactly how I feel. It is only through Him that this special little girl who was born on the other side of the world now calls us her family. It is only through Him that we have this blessing, this daughter, who was adopted into our family just like we were adopted into His. 

It has only been 43 days since she was put in our arms and it already feels so normal. She has been knit into our hearts and into our family in a way that can only come from God. We are the blessed ones to say we are her Mommy and Daddy. We are the blessed ones who get to experience these laughs and first accomplishments. We are the blessed ones who will experience her first words, her first steps, and who get to laugh as she kisses books, learns to splash in the bathtub, and to fight back tears as she has learned to put her head on our shoulder and relax into a hug.

In 43 days and so much has happened. It has been 43 days since our family was completely changed, 43 days of complete thankfulness to our God for the gift of this precious one, and 43 days of being so thankful we said, “Why not?â€

We’d like to share our adoption journey with you by way of video. It is our prayer that you will be encouraged by our story and not ask “Why should I adopt a child with special needs?† but rather “Why Not?â€