Sunday, April 25, 2010

Why you ask?

Sometimes it seems counterintuitive for us to adopt. We are ridiclously fertile and both of my pregnancies have been very healthy (though not fun) with simple births and perfectly healthy babies. It seems I was made for birthing babies, but God has given me a heart beyond the limits of my own physical gifts. My career is in pediatric health care, so obviously I have a heart for all children. But a trip to South Africa my senior year of college really captured my heart for adoption.

Allie and I went to this great orphanage for 2 weeks. Although the children were cared for well, you could tell they longed for parents. For that deeper connection that I am yours and you are mine unconditionally. Even though Jacob did not go with me, he felt God calling us to adoption as well before we even were married. Also, as I grow in my faith, I feel compelled by the gospel to reflect our adoption in Christ in our family as well. Taking part in this earthly adoption will be a beautiful picture of how God chose us to be adopted into his family through Christ. How we are forever his and we are loved before we even take a first breath. The girl we will bring into our family is probably not even born yet, but I love her so much already. Keiran does too! He has been asking for a sister forever and every night he wants to pray for God to bring us a little girl to be in our family.

So with this blog I hope to provide a place for friends and family to follow our journey, to testify to the great mystery that is our adoption in Christ, and to bring awareness to the subject in general. To conclude this first entry I would like to recognize a few people who have helped us get started on this path.

Allie- for sharing a heart for children with me, even as we were children ourselves, and for taking me to Africa

Hollis family-great resource and encouragement

Kirk-encouraging us through your heart for Nepal and the resource you have there

and of course Christ for graciously giving us the life, love, and peace of our own adoption