Recently, Caitlyn used some leftover birthday money to buy herself a ballerina barbie...a black ballerina barbie. Of course, we have no issues with this, but she kept referring to it as her "black-skinned" barbie; which is also how she refers to some of her friends. Certainly she isn't prejudiced or racist, it's just how she describes black people. We had to gently explain to her that most black people don't like to be called "black-skinned".
This has made me think more about the unique dynamics that will exist in our family. I know I want our adopted child to know her heritage and take pride in it. But I also know that being Ethipion American is different from being Black American or White American and that some of our greatest work will be in helping her feel comfortable in several cultures. My daughter's recent "political incorrectness" has made me realize that I don't know how to do that. At least not, yet. Looks like I've got some homework to do.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Two steps closer
We finally received our referrals from our doctors! Yay! We just have a couple more items of information to obtain and our adoption application will be complete! Pray, pray, pray that it will be accepted.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Waiting already
I have been told that the adoption process requires a lot of patience and I already understand why. We have our adoption application complete but we are waiting for letters from our doctors whom we have already had to remind. This period of waiting, of which I'm sure more are still to come, came to mind today during the sermon at church. We've been looking at the life of Elijah and today's sermon was about the period he spent in hiding; waiting for the Lord. His only tasks were to wait for the ravens to feed him in the morning and at night and to drink from the brook. Waiting is very hard; especially when we live in an instant-gratification society. But our pastor reminded us that it's during these times of waiting that God is either preparing us or preparing what he has planned for us. Examples of this are present throughout scripture...Moses in the desert, Joseph in prison, David in hiding, even Jesus in the wilderness for 4o days. It's easy to think God is doing remarkable things when we're busy doing His work, but God is doing remarkable things despite my work and my busy-ness. I have to remind myself of this during these trials of waiting.
I don't know what preparations He is making during this time of waiting, but I do know I'd rather have Him prepare if for us than for me to do it on my own.
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14
I don't know what preparations He is making during this time of waiting, but I do know I'd rather have Him prepare if for us than for me to do it on my own.
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14
Friday, August 8, 2008
The beginning
I suppose our decision to adopt came as a surprise to almost everyone, except ourselves. Of course, if you had asked us a year ago if we were going to have any more kids, we would have given a firm "NO!". We had been adamant for years that we didn't want to have any more kids. Don't misunderstand me. We love our children more than I can possibly say. It's just that our kids are getting older and more self-sufficient. We can sleep peacefully most nights and can even sleep in on Saturday mornings. Why change all that?! Not to mention that child-birth and I did NOT get along very well, so it just seemed the obvious choice was not to have any more children.
Of course, God had something to say about all of this.
My first and now constant circle of friends after moving to Missouri either had adopted, had been adopted, were in the process of adopting, or worked with orphans in one degree or another. I didn't really think anything about this at the time, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't have an impact on me. In fact, my friend Jenny, who has two adopted children from Guatamala, often teased me that I'd better be careful hanging out with all these adopters and adoptees or we'd end up adopting, too. I would just laugh politely in response. It's clear to me now how God was putting the support, encouragement and resources in place. Not to mention "the bug".
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 NIV
Sometime last year I checked out a book from our church library called Fields of the Fatherless. I didn't go in looking for that book; rather the book found me. I brought it home and began reading it. It was about the things that are of utmost importance to God and making those things most important in our lives. In scripture, God speaks of three groups that are most on his heart, that he feels the most compassion for and that he most longs for believers to show mercy and love to. They are the widow, foreigner and orphan. The "fatherless". The ones without a home. Without Jesus in our life, we're all homeless; we're all orphans.
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15 NIV
Scott saw me reading this book and asked, "Does this mean we're going adopt?" I said, "No." That was about 8 months ago.
Then, I started to get "the baby bug." I noticed babies everywhere. Now, I firmly believe some people just naturely gravitate towards babies. They're "baby people." They're the ones who offer to hold a crying baby, want to cuddle a baby, make cute faces at babies, etc. I am not one of them. So, why was I suddenly so attracted to babies all the time? I even signed up to work in the nursery one day. Me! Working in the nursery! Of course, I loved it but what was this all about?!
About 8 weeks ago, Scott and I began a discussion about adopting. We'd had brief conversations during the previous year, but just in passing. This time, we both felt very strongly that we should adopt. And we both felt strongly that we should adopt an infant. And we both felt strongly that we should adopt from Ethiopia. We'd been praying separately about these things and it was awesome for me to see God working through both of us; leading us down the same path to the same decision at the same time.
It's taken us a while to select our adoption agency, but we're finally there. We filled out the pre-application and just received the formal application in the mail today. I got so emotional just looking at it. There was a picture of the orphanage in Addis Ababa and I thought, "that might be my baby's first home." It's overwhelming how much work God has done in our lives and in our hearts to consider that we will be so much more blessed by another of His precious, little ones.
Of course, God had something to say about all of this.
My first and now constant circle of friends after moving to Missouri either had adopted, had been adopted, were in the process of adopting, or worked with orphans in one degree or another. I didn't really think anything about this at the time, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't have an impact on me. In fact, my friend Jenny, who has two adopted children from Guatamala, often teased me that I'd better be careful hanging out with all these adopters and adoptees or we'd end up adopting, too. I would just laugh politely in response. It's clear to me now how God was putting the support, encouragement and resources in place. Not to mention "the bug".
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 NIV
Sometime last year I checked out a book from our church library called Fields of the Fatherless. I didn't go in looking for that book; rather the book found me. I brought it home and began reading it. It was about the things that are of utmost importance to God and making those things most important in our lives. In scripture, God speaks of three groups that are most on his heart, that he feels the most compassion for and that he most longs for believers to show mercy and love to. They are the widow, foreigner and orphan. The "fatherless". The ones without a home. Without Jesus in our life, we're all homeless; we're all orphans.
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15 NIV
Scott saw me reading this book and asked, "Does this mean we're going adopt?" I said, "No." That was about 8 months ago.
Then, I started to get "the baby bug." I noticed babies everywhere. Now, I firmly believe some people just naturely gravitate towards babies. They're "baby people." They're the ones who offer to hold a crying baby, want to cuddle a baby, make cute faces at babies, etc. I am not one of them. So, why was I suddenly so attracted to babies all the time? I even signed up to work in the nursery one day. Me! Working in the nursery! Of course, I loved it but what was this all about?!
About 8 weeks ago, Scott and I began a discussion about adopting. We'd had brief conversations during the previous year, but just in passing. This time, we both felt very strongly that we should adopt. And we both felt strongly that we should adopt an infant. And we both felt strongly that we should adopt from Ethiopia. We'd been praying separately about these things and it was awesome for me to see God working through both of us; leading us down the same path to the same decision at the same time.
It's taken us a while to select our adoption agency, but we're finally there. We filled out the pre-application and just received the formal application in the mail today. I got so emotional just looking at it. There was a picture of the orphanage in Addis Ababa and I thought, "that might be my baby's first home." It's overwhelming how much work God has done in our lives and in our hearts to consider that we will be so much more blessed by another of His precious, little ones.
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