Adoption Awareness Month

November is Adoption Awareness month and so I want to include more information on adoption opportunities, facts, and how to...

This is how I started a saved post back in November, and needless to say I never finished and published that post (obviously).  All month in November I would think "I really want to blog about adoption, this is really something important on my heart." But I never made it happen. Then after November was over I would think "I really wish I would have blogged about Adoption Awareness month, why didn't I do that, it is really something close to my heart."  Finally a few weeks ago God reminded me that it doesn't need to be November or Adoption Awareness month for me to blog about adoption.

Here is what I believe about adoption - God calls us to take care of orphans: "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
And as a follower of Christ I want to be eager to look after orphans (and help widows). I do not think that every single Christian is called to adopt. There are other ways to help orphans - sponsorship, financial assistance to adopting families, GOing on mission trips, and prayer. I DO believe that as a Christian we are called to ONE of these ways of caring for orphans. For my husband and I we feel called to many of these service outlets, but feel that God is setting us on a path to adopt in the near future (God willing, very very near future).

Adoption has many different paths - local, foreign, agency driven, location driven, etc, etc... The paths can be difficult to navigate and decide on but that is where faith comes in (right?).  We are still unsure what path we are suppose to head down and literally are taking this journey one blind step at a time, we have knowledge but no clear vision on the path only the end goal.  And just like we heard in church this morning - God gives vision but often the road to that vision is different then we imagine! However we fulfill the vision we are excited for the journey and the end result (a new son and/or daughter in our family).

 As we realistically start this journey I find my mind wondering, thinking -
Is our child born?
Is their a woman pregnant with our child right now?
Will our child be a boy or a girl?
Will they be from Africa (like we anticipate) or elsewhere?

As soon as these thoughts (and hundreds more) go through my mind I can't help but begin to pray. Pray for our child who may be in a bad and unhealthy environment. Pray for the mother who will need to give up her child for whatever reason, pray for her health, her spirit, her life. Oh I ache thinking that OUR CHILD may already be out there or in their mother's womb and we are just sitting her waiting. Oh what a journey I know this will be!

Today we walked forward at church (during prayer time) and asked for prayer in this journey. As we stood there and sweet strangers prayed for us we wept (well mostly I wept Todd keeps it together much better then me) but not a scared or dreary cry, but excited and in anticipation. Then the sweet woman praying for us begins to tell me -
"this will be your child, this journey is as if you were pregnant with this baby in your womb, you will love this child just as much as your natural children" and then.... I really wept :)  I have no idea (we have no idea) what the journey will look like but we are EXCITED, we are ANTICIPATING and we are EAGER! And with that will come PATIENCE!

I did not start this post though to talk about our adoption journey but to bring awareness, stir your heart, and encourage you that YOU CAN do something. YOU CAN care for an orphan in some fashion. and YOU ARE called to do so! God is honored when we obey His commands and we are blessed when we do!

I want to leave you with a few links (after my babbling)
1st - an article from a great adoption website on how YOU CAN - http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=764

2nd - A link to an orphanage that is near and dear to our hearts, where you could possibly adopt from, but also where you can sponsor a child (or widow). We know these people personally and  the money you give goes to these children to provide for their daily needs - http://sheltering-wings.org/#/home

3rd - I would suggest that if you want any more information on any of these support options to ask your pastor, read adoption blogs, google to get information on adoption or sponsorship... YOU CAN, and WE SHOULD!

And if you have any links, information, or thoughts Please Leave a Comment!

Thanks for reading as I rambled!

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn