Sunday, February 20, 2011

How Do You Know?

Adopting again is always a topic for us in our home. It's something we discuss, consider, pray about and agonize over. We wonder if God has completed our family (we are okay with that if He has!) and we often wonder if He has another little person or two to add. So many factors, so many decisions.

Our hearts are overwhelmed with love for the three entrusted to us and we feel blessed. We are okay with having all one gender (and don't know if we would specify a gender if/when we do adopt again). And we know that each of our sons is an amazing gift - one we could never have imagined!

But I guess there is a part of us that feels that our family isn't quite complete. We still have the desire to adopt, to support others in adoption, and to advocate for children here and abroad. We have pondered beginning the process again or at least updating our homestudy and profile at our agency and seeing what God has in store. The Truth is: I'm terrified to do that - it could take a long time (most likely) or it could go way more quickly than we anticipate. :) Regardless, we know that if God has another little one for our family, we will be ready and willing.

We are considering how He might provide for another adoption - honestly, we are still recovering from the last three (well, especially the very quick last one!) and while we have the heart and desire to adopt again, we simply don't have the resources right now. And so we continue to talk, pray, and seek. Is there another one? When is the right time? Domestic or Foster or International? How will we possibly fund another adoption? How will we know when we are done?

So many questions. The answer thus far has been to wait. And so we are - patiently most days, somewhat impatiently on others - saving a little here and there, as we are able, towards adopting again. Through it all, we trust that it will be the right time, the right place, the right (no, perfect!) child(ren) for us.   

In the mean time, we are enjoying our family of five!

Thanks to Kevin Swan for taking this photo!

7 comments:

Jessica Bergschneider said...

Aww, I love your absolutely adorable family of five... miss you guys!

minime0910 said...

great pic of you guys!!! I think when you are done, you know you are done. Do you still have a Snugli lying around somewhere? Do you wake up at 5am and think "It might be nice to be rocking a baby right now?" Do you look at your youngest and think that he might make a good big brother? Then you probably aren't done!! Listen to your heart, everything else will fall into place. XOXO Erin

Jennifer said...

I think we're in the same spot as you guys except even more vague. I definitely have a heart for more kids, but there are a couple HUGE factors that say that for right now, today and tomorrow, our family is complete. But... those factors aren't saying it's complete forever, just for right now. So like you, I am content and happy in my family of 4, but maybe in 2,3, 5, 7 years (who knows), it may be an option again. We'll see. :-)

Jen said...

Love y'alls heart!! Can't wait to adopt myself one of these days...

Kim said...

I'm having a feeling...and when you get to know me better you will understand what I mean..God will let you know.
See you tomorrow!

Thad and Ann said...

I contemplate about this quite a it. Neither Thad or I feel like our family is complete since we would both love to have a little girl or two. :) It's hard waiting & wondering if all the closing doors lately is God saying "No." But for now we are in the same spot as you, enjoying the two boys God has blessed us with.

Your family picture is beautiful!

Nirmala said...

Love your family photo! Adoption has been something that for some reason I have thought an awful lot about and been drawn to over the past several years. Right now I am thinking about it from a slightly different perspective. Through Heart Change Ministries, I am currently working with a young woman who is in an unwanted pregnancy, and who has many other needs. I have just met her in person within the last week, but have picked her up at her apartment several times, taken her to the pregnancy center yesterday, watched and played with her kids, taken her to do errands and paperwork, and will be taking her back to the center for an ultrasound next week. What is so hard for me to deal with is the knowledge that she is at the moment pretty set on aborting her child! She just told me that the abortion appointment to already set for a couple weeks from now! How I pray that God would change her heart! How I wish I knew someone who could adopt her child and convince her that someone really wanted him/her ! (And that God would open her heart to that option.) For some reason God allowed her to call me in her desperation and tell me what was going on and ask for help, so I am trying to be available for her, love her to matter what, and pray that God has something good He will accomplish through this! It is soooo hard though, as I am so emotionally drained by it right now. It's like knowing the date that someone is to be killed, and yet there is nothing legally you can do about it. But our God is powerful! Please pray with me! I will meet her to take her to get some work paperwork done today.

~Nirmala