We have been asked why we have chosen to ask God to build our family through adoption at this point in our lives, when we don't have reason to believe that we wouldn't be able to have other biological children if we tried (and we do plan to try again too, in the future...). Here's my attempt to answer that question.
Stan and I have always been passionate about adoption, and have always planned to adopt more than one child in addition to the biological children that God gives us. We have fostered in the past but more recently are looking toward private adoption and plan to adopt domestically this first time.
We feel strongly that adoption is an appropriate response to the Gospel. We have been adopted as sons, given the spirit of adoption (per Romans 8), even though we were undeserving and had done NOTHING to merit our Father's affection. Ransoming us from the destiny that we deserved (eternal separation from God) came at no small cost to the Father - He gave up the life of His Son. Jesus suffered and died and rose again to give us abundant life NOW and eternal fellowship with God as His adopted children, who He loves as His own.
Freely, undeserving, at great cost to the Father, we have received....
Now to begin the journey toward a baby who is not biologically "ours," but will be "ours" because God has placed him or her in our hearts. Now to love as we have been loved, at great cost. Because adoption IS costly....but nowhere near as costly as it was for the Father when He bought back our lives. Because we love Him (partially through loving "the least of these") because He loved us first. Because we desire to continue to share in His heart for the fatherless. Because God's heart is to place the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6). Because it blesses His heart when we, His Church, care for orphans (James 1:27). Also, while we are wholeheartedly on the same page as the majority of the evangelical church in America in their political fight against abortion, we believe that the fight cannot stop with politics. We can't just say "NO!" to abortion and not back it up with our actions. The American church must be willing to rise up and take responsibility for the fatherless children within our nation...whether this takes the form of adoption, foster care, supporting and praying for those who are fostering and/or adopting, or finding other ways to intentionally pour into the lives of the fatherless. We personally want to adopt as a prophetic response to abortion in our nation....that the prophetic cry of our lives would be: "Every life is valuable, no matter the circumstances of conception. Every life is precious to the Father. Every child is worth loving."
Therefore... freely, at great (but not so great in light of all we've received) cost, we give.
