I've had a sick little boy yesterday and today. It's made for lots of cuddle time with my little man and thinking time for this momma. So, today I'm going to share a few of my thoughts with you....
I'm thinking back to 18 1/2 years ago. We had just experienced the birth of our first son. It rocked our world. It changed our world! We had to carry a diaper bag, buckle a sweet babe in a car seat, find private places to feed the baby and felt like sleep was a thing of the past. And, just when we thought we had things all under control and explosion happened. An explosion that required a complete clothes change for the Zachary as well as a bath if possible - and if we were really lucky it didn't mean we needed a clothes change as well! Then 15 1/2 years ago we were about to deliver our first daughter. My honest thoughts at the time ... "how can I possibly love someone as much as I love our first child." We just loved, loved, loved him so much. And we still do. But, the moment we laid eyes on our beautiful Amanda we were in love again. And, of course I loved her just as much and was embarrassed that I could have even questioned how we would love another child as much as we loved our first.
God blessed us with three more girls that, yes, I love, love, love just as much as the first two. That brings us to 20 months ago. God gave us twin boys. Burka and Buche didn't come to us the same way that the first five did. And, I will be honest - the "feelings" that we have experienced since we started the adoption process have been different than the "feelings" that we experienced through my pregnancies of our first five children. It was a different journey to the same thing ... our children that we love. I love, love, love our sixth and seventh children just as much as the first five. I'm amazed at how God creates families.
When children come to us through adoption, there is always a story that started before we were in the picture. Bittersweet. It's a word that means something to me more today that it ever has before we brought home our sons from Ethiopia. You see, our sons have a beautiful story of life before we knew them. They also have a story full of pain. A story that one day I hope that they will be able to share with others in the light of what God did with both the beauty and the pain. Since we have learned of their story my thoughts are never far from their life before I was blessed to call them my sons. Their story is now part of our families story and it is forever imprinted on my heart. And, their story is one of millions of stories of children, orphans, little ones that are living in poverty and all that goes along with that.
God indeed creates families in all ways. I love adoption. I believe in adoption. It's biblical. I would do it again if God called us to. It is a beautiful thing. The fact that this little boy sitting on my lap wants nothing other than my comfort ... his mommy's comfort today when he doesn't feel good melts my heart! God has healed much for my whole family through the adoption of our sons.
I also feel that God calls us to help keep families together. I can not image having to experience things like mom's all over the world have experienced. Stories like finding myself living behind a dumpster trying to take care of my baby with nothing. And, I also can not image having to give up my child because I had no way to provide. Heart. Breaking.
I can help. You can help. Take a minute to go over to Embracing Hope Ethiopia's website. and see the many things they are doing to keep families together. We can help the mom living behind the dumpster so that SHE can work to provide for her baby. We have visited Embracing Hope Ethiopia. It is an awesome place. God is indeed at work. It is located in a slum area called Korah. Korah is known as a forsaken place. It began as a leper colony and is the site of the city trash dump. Embracing Hope Ethiopia is working on filling up open slots of families that need sponsorship. You can read about a few here. This is where we can help. Just check it out. Don't feel pressured by me if you've read to this point in this post. Don't feel pressured at all. But, if you feel lead with a joyful heart to help, do it. You will be blessed! You will be a blessing!
