Willing
I have been thinking a lot about adoption, and specifically international adoption of special needs children, and how impossible it is to make a logical decision about bringing home a child from these circumstances. You are given a limited amount of information, much of which is incomplete or incorrect. You see a photo or two, and maybe a video. And that's it. Now choose to change your life forever for this child.
How does anyone make a decision like that? How do you know you can do it? How do you know it won't break you? How do you know it will be best for your family, or your marriage, or your child?
And I had an epiphany: you don't.
You don't know.
And no amount of searching or reading or even praying will make you know.
You have to acknowledge that you don't know, and be willing anyway.
You must be willing to be forever changed, willing to sacrifice the dynamic of your family as you know it, willing to put the needs of a child above your need to know for sure, and willing to keep working and fighting through the hard because you know that the life of a child is worth it.
If you are feeling the nudge to help, answer that call however you can. You can donate time or resources to a family or organization or specific child, offer to help with fundraising efforts, you can share stories and pictures to create awareness, you can pray, talk about, and advocate for these children. The only requirement is that you are wiling.
For God can do amazing things with willing hearts and hands.
The following are real before and after photos, used with permission:
To donate to our adoption, visit our YouCaring page or our Reece's Rainbow Page
How does anyone make a decision like that? How do you know you can do it? How do you know it won't break you? How do you know it will be best for your family, or your marriage, or your child?
And I had an epiphany: you don't.
You don't know.
And no amount of searching or reading or even praying will make you know.
You have to acknowledge that you don't know, and be willing anyway.
You must be willing to be forever changed, willing to sacrifice the dynamic of your family as you know it, willing to put the needs of a child above your need to know for sure, and willing to keep working and fighting through the hard because you know that the life of a child is worth it.
If you are feeling the nudge to help, answer that call however you can. You can donate time or resources to a family or organization or specific child, offer to help with fundraising efforts, you can share stories and pictures to create awareness, you can pray, talk about, and advocate for these children. The only requirement is that you are wiling.
For God can do amazing things with willing hearts and hands.
The following are real before and after photos, used with permission:
L: Before R: Home 6 months
Emmy, before and after she'd been home 7 months
Abel, L: in orphanage R: home 4 months
L: at the orphanage. R: home 6 months
Gracie, L: April 2016. R: August 2016
L: Gotcha day Oct 2016. R: May 2017
Zoe, L: orphan in Ethiopia. R: beloved family member in the U.S.
Gabriella, L: Age 15 (yes, fifteen years old) R: home less than one year
Ruby, adopted from Ukraine
Ryan, L: In orphanage R: Home
Israel, before and after
To donate to our adoption, visit our YouCaring page or our Reece's Rainbow Page
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