Adoption Road....

Wow....the road to adoption is NOT an easy one. I guess I've heard about adoption stories that just miraculously happen for a family. That has NOT been the case around here. Maybe in the future, I can look back and see miraculous things and road paved for us but from what I've heard other adoptive parents tell me, the road is NOT an easy one.

Our road is full of ups and downs, getting turned sideways, seemingly getting lost and confused along the way. Sometimes we just don't know how God is leading us.

Roger came and sat next to me a few nights ago. Very gently he told me that he doesn't see how we can possibly adopt from Africa. The money we need to do this will be required very soon. Our plan...what we thought God was going to do...was to sell the big house and use that money to finance our adoption. That hasn't happened yet. In fact, finances are tighter than they ever have been since we are trying to take care of two houses.

On the upside of things, though, we feel that PERHAPS God is working in a different direction in our adoption "journey." During the last few weeks, I have become aquainted...and rather attached...to two little boys in "Safe" houses...staying with two different friends of mine. Their mothers are working to get themselves in a better situation and the plans have been to get their little boys back. It looks like they are going back home and all should be reunited by Christmas. But I have suddenly realized that RIGHT here in our city...our state...our country...are children that desperately need homes...just as greatly as children in foreign countries need homes. These two little boys show signs of neglect...no physical abuse...but a lack of nurturing, teaching, and guiding that little ones need. If I could have adopted either of these little boys, I would have done whatever it took to do so...but that door closed as well.

Roger went to a two day seminar about children last week. Both days speakers talked about the need for homes for children in crisis. He came home every night talking about them. He was really interested in finding out more information about adopting from Foster Care or in some similar way. Quite a while ago, he told me that he thought that we would adopt by hearing about a child or children who were in need of a home. I don't think that foreign adoption was his first thought when we first started talking about it.

Soooo....right now we are making inquiries about a pretty 4 year old little girl who needs new parents. (Well....not NEW! In fact, EXPERIENCED parents were actually what they requested! Hey! We have 8 kids and 5 grandkids! How much more experience do they need, right? I think that makes us professional parents!)

The 4 year old little girl is GORGEOUS!!! She will certainly need lots of patient parental care since she has signs of abuse, neglect, domestic violence. What a precious little soul...she has endured so much in her little life. I wish I could just make it all better for her but I know that love is not all she needs. But....it's a start. Unconditional Love.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up AGAIN...like I did with the two little ones. I don't think that I am but I certainly keep finding myself going back to my email just to gaze at her precious little face. Oh wow. I'm in trouble!!!! ;)

We sent in our application to gain more information about her and hopefully next week we will at least have more knowledge. I don't know, as in the situation last month, if there are other families who are also interested in her. All we can do is try and to ask God, once more, for His guidance.

If you think about it, perhaps you could ask the Lord to guide us? And to protect these precious little ones who can not protect themselves.

Blessings to you this Christmas Season and always,
Beth