Adoption

I think I have stated on here that several of our friends are fostering or adopting, or both.  I have great respect for them.  With our family already having four kids close together, it's not in the cards for us right now to take on another child.  I work with a child that has gone through the foster system, and sure he's hyperactive, but he can read fairly well (but apparently not quite at grade level), and he seems like he's adjusting fairly well.  It's not until you try to talk to him about how things are going does he get defensive and shut down.  Some other people we know are waiting to go get their son, but the country is closed to adoption, so they can't get in country to bring him home.  My heart just wouldn't be able to bear the constant up and down of emotions.  I've gone through enough of that in my pregnancies, and we can't go through that again for a while.

I think what God wants us to do is to be open to Him.  Be receptive to His leading and obey what He says.  We feel it's best to not get pregnant right now, but that doesn't mean in a few years we would ignore God's instruction to expand our family, either by a child of our own or an adoption, I can't say. It breaks my heart to hear about children, not just orphans, who don't get to go to school, or don't have money for food.  I feel like I should care for them all, but know it's not reasonable for our family right now.

We are called as Christians to care for the widows and orphans, but that doesn't mean we will have them running all through our home. We keep praying about adoption, but we aren't there yet, and we may never be.

I have a heart for families with young children, but have to be content with my place now. My mother-in-law helps young families as often as she can. I keep praying that when my kids are older I will be able to do the same for the young families around me. I can't be if much help other than encouraging and praying for young and new moms while I have 4 little ones running around.