I have told our infertility story as far as our dilemma of financial and emotional brokenness. After graduating from seminary, my wife and I returned to our home state to get a fresh start on waiting on God for both a ministry assignment and clarity on whether or not to adopt. Out of our desperation, Jesus manifested Himself in our lives in ways we could not have anticipated.
My father, who was a pastor in a city four hours away from where we were living, did something that at first embarrassed us but later encouraged us. He wrote to all the gynecologists in his city explaining that he had a son who, with his wife, greatly longed to have a child but were not able to do so. If any such doctor should hear of a young mother who did not want to get an abortion, but could not keep the baby, please (wrote my father) consider my son and his wife as adoptive parents. I was amazed when my dad told us what he had done, but doubly amazed when he heard from one doctor in his town who had the exact situation described! In a few months time we drove to that city and held in our arms a beautiful baby girl.
And there was a deeper sense in which the risen Christ displayed Himself in us. You see, resurrection is not always evident in circumstances. There was a form of resurrection that happened in our hearts. Occasionally, as we waited for the day of birth of the daughter we were to adopt, someone would ask in insensitive question such as, “After you adopt, if you have ‘one of your own,’ will you give the adopted baby back?†We could hardly believe our ears at this kind of naiveté. But here is my point. Through the adoption process, we came to see adoption as a wondrous privilege and joy on par with having a child biologically (which we later did). Through adopting, we got a glimpse into the Father’s heart by realizing that love can fully embrace a child placed in our family. Our daughter became our own, just as we become the possession of God the Father. This is a miracle of the living Christ within us. “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father’†(Gal. 4:6)!
Do you have an adoption story?
Julia, that is an inspirational story! “Home” is such a strong instinct placed in us by God, I can begin to see how adopted children find that they belong in such a short period of time, as your two did. Thanks for telling the “rest of the story” as to how they have become fulfilled adults.
My husband and I raised two sons, but always wanted a daughter. When the boys were teenagers, we actually went through the process to adopt and got to the point where everything was in place, but for some reason that we can’t explain (obviously God’s leading), didn’t follow through. A few years later we got a call from a friend who operates an adoption agency for multi-ethnic children. She asked if we were still interested in adopting because there were children waiting for homes. She said, “I know you wanted to adopt a girl, but will you consider two? We have sisters that we don’t want to break up. Just meet them, and then you can decide.” Well, of course we met them and that was it. Our first meeting was at the end of November, and they were placed in our home on December 21. They wanted them home before Christmas, which was the younger one’s first birthday. They were immediately blended into our family, in a home where they have an uncanny resemblance to our biological children (their birth mother had wanted them in a home where they looked like they “belonged”). The girl’s are now wonderful young women in their twenties with families of their own. I cannot imagine our lives without them. Waiting on God’s timing has brought us more than we could have imagined!