Over the past month-ish we have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and support from our friends and family, our support system as we call it. The support system has sold and bought t-shirts, cookies and cakes and some have even made generous donations. We cannot say thank you enough to these people. We knew these people loved us and supported us, so I'm not sure why we are surprised when we see them put that love into action. We are truly thankful for each one of them.
Ellie and I have been reading the boys children's books on adoption each night before bed. Caleb now asks every night to read a "ba-doption" book. He is convinced that we will be bringing home a little sister for him and he wants to name her Khan. If it happens to be a little brother, he wants to name him Hodge. No clue where he gets the names from! He is excited about the adoption and says he cannot wait to be a big brother to another brother or sister. We are thankful that he is learning about adoption at such a young age and that his heart is so open to the process.
Our house looks like Cookie Central now and Caleb has been great with not eating every cookie he sees, although he would like too (I know this because he told us he would)! Through all of the chaos that is our house and baking and icing cookies, sorting t-shirts, and making items to sell, often late into the night, I found myself thinking, "This child better appreciate what we are doing for him or her." As soon as I thought that, God hit me with a ton of bricks. He asked me, "How much do you appreciate what I did for you when I adopted you into my family?" With my mouth dropped to the floor I had nothing to answer but an apology to the One who gave His son so that I may be adopted into the only true forever family.
I have learned a lot about adoption over the last month. Ellie and I have researched adoption for several years now and over the last month I have learned more than during that whole period. I have come to realize that the doctrine of adoption is not one aspect of the Gospel. It is the Gospel. The whole of the Gospel hinges on this one thing. I could not receive salvation without God paying the price to adopt me. And that price was high.I have learned that adoption is costly. The process is expensive. We knew this coming in. The cost can seem overwhelming. But I look at the projected cost of our adoption vs Jesus' life. Which is more precious? And, what is money to the maker of the universe?
Adoption is messy. It's chaotic. Our lives now center on getting ready for a new baby in our home, raising and saving money and preparing our children for what is about to take place. We don't expect to receive a "perfect" child. We pray for the child that God is placing with us. Just like Caleb and Brunson are not perfect and are sometimes whiny and annoying, we still love them and we will love this child as well.
Adoption is transformational. The whole process transforms us as a family. It transforms us as parents. It will also transform our support system. We have seen this first hand in our great friends who adopted a child from Russia. Adoption also transforms the child. The child from Russia who sat in a tiny crib all day, everyday for the first 14 months of his life, who didn't know how to smile when came home is now Caleb's best friend. That child is completely transformed. He is an amazing blessing that I cannot imagine my life without. And, by the way, he now has a smile that will light up a room.
Adoption is what Ellie and I are called to do. We do not believe everyone is called to adopt. However, we are all called to care for widows and 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. It is up to us to prayerfully consider what this means to our individual families.
We are glad to answer questions. We know that a lot of people do not know how the adoption process works. We didn't. Just know that when you ask, you are asking about our child that we love.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. Keep them up. The journey has just begun.
Brett
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." Galatians 4:4-7
#bcheadoptedme
