God's Heart for the Orphan: Our Response

Life lived by faith, in obedience to God's Word, is an adventure. My tidy little world was pretty rocked throughout our international adoption process. We had no money to speak of. We had daunting piles of paperwork and forms to be exactly filled out. We had appointments to make (social workers, home study, fingerprints, doctors, etc). None of these are my favorite things. Some people thrive on that kind of organizational nightmare challenge. Not me. There were delays and setbacks (pretty much a given with all international adoptions) and then there was the great unknown: who would our child be? We literally had no idea who we would end up with, what that child's history was, or what that child's future would entail.

Why go through it at all? Well, there is this. And as if that wasn't enough, then there is this verse, too, that I could not shake at the time- nor since that time, from Luke (12:48):

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

That is us. We have been given so much. There are children in this world who have been abandoned, orphaned, and who have no one to care for their basic needs, let alone anyone to love them. There is a huge need and we are able to do something about it! At the time we really felt (and still do feel) a huge sense of responsibility. God has blessed us so abundantly. There was no question to us where God stands on the matter, and so now it came down to this: What would our response be?

I am convinced that is has to be *something*. I do not think we can sidestep this issue. I'm not saying that everyone should adopt or become a foster parent, but I think the Bible is clear on the fact that we must care for the orphan, somehow. That can look differently for each person/couple/family, yes. But the fact remains that it is our responsibility as followers of Jesus to do this.

Here's the thing: it is a huge step of obedience and faith. HUGE. But: you do not go it alone. He is with you, He is with you, He is with you.

One of the best things for me during each of our adoptions was that, when all was said and done~ I was closer to Jesus than ever before. In fact-- although I may have complained just a wee bit about the process itself (okay, so... a LOT bit), and although I was overwhelmed *many* times through it all, and really and truly full of fear at times.... when those final papers were signed and it was a done deal? I was sad to have it end, because it was a thrilling ride. Not the paperwork, no. But the turning to Jesus at each new roadblock. The utter dependence upon God through it all. The I-don't-know-what-You're-doing-here-Lord-but-I-trust-You-anyway kind of faith. Praying fervently and then watching Him work. Trusting and seeing Him deliver. It is invigorating, that kind of faith. (Don't you want that? Don't you long for that kind of relationship with Jesus? I do!)



Next up: Fears About Adoption and Fostering

God's Heart for the Orphan

Thank you for all of your thoughtful comments on the Intro post. (I am convinced that I have the best blog-readers out there. I love you all so much, and think you are all so encouraging and inspiring.)

If you're just joining us, we're taking this entire month to discuss the topic of adoption and foster care. We began here if you'd like to catch up. Now, on to today's post....

* * *

As we consider the topics of adoption and foster care, I think there is only one right place to start:

God's Word.

I'm not going to give my thoughts on these verses- at least not just yet. (I can't promise that my thoughts won't spill over in future posts!) I'm just going to let God's Word speak for itself. Also... I know it's tempting to see a list of verses and skim the first one or two and then click away. I want to ask you, though, to read each and every one:

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. ~Deut. 10:18

You, O God... are the helper of the fatherless. ~Psalm 10:14

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. ~Psalm 10:17-18

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families. ~Psalm 68:5-6

For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. ~Psalm 72:12-14

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. ~Psalm 82: 3-4

The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow. ~Psalm 146:9

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. ~Isaiah 1:17

For in you the fatherless find compassion. ~Hosea 14:3

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

Intro to this Month's Adoption Focus

The picture above shows our two adopted children, Isaias (5), adopted from Guatemala when he was 9 months old; and Adelia (2), adopted through our state's foster/adopt program when she was less than a month old.

I want so much to share my passion for adoption with you throughout the month of November. I have prayed that God would give me the words to express my heart, and that He would use this series of posts to stir some of you to move forward on this journey. (Yeah, I'm not going to lie to you. I want some of *you* to end up fostering and/or adopting! And I'm praying it would be so. I have read your emails, and tucked your stories into my heart and prayers, and I know there are many of you who have pondered this and thought, "Someday... maybe we'll do that." I'm hoping God will use these posts~ amongst all the other ways He will choose to speak to you~ to encourage you to take that next step.)

I hope to cover these topics, to name a few:

• attachment/bonding
• what to do when your husband doesn't want to adopt
• fears
  
• blending of biological/adopted kids in one family
• our own process
• foster care: one family's story
  

Like I said before, I am an open book. I would love for this to be an open discussion, between you and me (and others who will guest-post this month), as we work our way through these topics.

Here's a question to get us started: What do you think are some fears people have when they consider foster care and/or adoption? These fears may be your own, or fears you've heard from others.

I'll start. My fears, throughout our journey, have been many, ranging from financial worries: How will we ever be able to afford this?! to a pressing fear of the unknown: What kind of child will we end up with? Can I do this? Will I be able to love/parent that child rightly?

Your turn. Leave a comment! Feel free to do so anonymously if that will be the difference between you leaving a comment and not.




[Next up: God's heart for the orphan]

In an effort to make it *on time* to church tomorrow...

... we're trying this:


{Many thanks to our sweet Ella, who rounded up everyone's clothes. She relished the opportunity to organize and dress everyone! :)}

This is a great week

Today we celebrated Isaac's 7th birthday~ with balloons and gifts and for breakfast: Swedish pancakes with syrup and whipping cream, sausages and fruit smoothies. With pizza for lunch and meatloaf, sweet potatoes and applesauce for dinner. With a trip to the library and time to play in the back yard and lots of time to play on the living room rug with Legos. With birthday kisses from his little sisters and the Happy Birthday song sung all day long. With phone calls and emails from those far away. With hugs and smiles from loved ones gathered round our living room tonight to celebrate our boy. With lemon cake and lime sherbet or chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. We are so thankful.

Tomorrow is a regular school day.

But Thursday? Thursday is not regular at all. I get to drive to the airport to pick up one of my dearest friends and then we're going to stay at a hotel for TWO blessed nights and just talk and pray and laugh and sleep and eat.

I know.

I feel incredibly blessed. God is so good to give me (us!) this time, and Mark? Such an incredible husband to let me do it. [Michelle's husband, too! {Thank you, Chad... for letting her come!!!!}]

What's great about your week?

Coming up in November...

Are you aware that November is National Adoption Month? It's a month set aside each year to raise awareness about the adoption of children and youth from foster care.

That~ and really more the fact that all things adoption and foster-care-related are very near and dear to my heart (and: more importantly, to GOD's heart)~ I am going to be spending the entire month of November talking about those topics here on the blog. Hooray! :)

I don't know yet all that will entail, but here are two things I can tell you: I've interviewed a foster mom who is very dear to me, and I can't wait to introduce her to you and share their family's foster-care experiences with you. And: my own Mark has promised me a guest post on the topic of adoption.

Most of you know that we have adopted internationally, done foster care, and adopted domestically. I know that doesn't make me an expert on any of it (far from it!) but what I do have to offer is this: I am an open book. :) Also, this: one of the great things about being a foster/adoptive parent is that you get to be part of a whole community of other foster and/or adoptive parents. If I can't offer any personal experience on a topic, I can easily find someone who will.

So. Here is where you come in:

If there are any questions you have about adoption or foster care~ whether it be about our experiences, yours, or the whole idea in general, please comment on this post, and I will make sure to get to it sometime within the next month.

~Stacy

Friday mornings

How I love Fridays! Every Friday, my mom comes and takes the two little girls for two (precious!) hours so that I can do uninterrupted school with the older three.

I really look forward to this time with Ella, Isaac and Isaias.

I can't believe how much quieter and calmer things are on those mornings, and how fewer the "just a minutes" are, and how relaxed I can be as a mama without having the two toddlers. I also love knowing that my little girls are having special time with grandma. This morning they worked on puzzles, played babies, danced, and ate snacks! (They always get snacks at grandmas!)

This has been a huge blessing to me this year.

* * *

We played a fun game this morning during math time, and it was a big hit. Here's how to play:

Roll a die, and fill in the number rolled in the left-hand box.
Roll again, and fill in the number in the right.
Then add (or subtract) those numbers (younger children can use counters) and fill in the solution.

Easy and fun!

(Personally, I'm hoping that this means some rousing family games of Yahtzee are right around the corner!)


The other day I was following links to other blogs and stumbled across Confessions of a Homeschooler. That's where I found this idea, and you can download the Dice Addition/Subtraction worksheets here, if it sounds like something your kids would like, too!

Happy Friday to you! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!