Our short few months of serious adoption consideration have been eye-opening in many ways. This is not the first large decision we’ve made, but it’s the largest one in a little while now. I think that both of us have grown significantly in our spiritual lives to where our decision process looks much different than it would have before. Our priorities are different. Our perspectives have changed. All for the glory of God.

We are blessed to live in a country where Christianity is not illegal (either officially or unofficially). Not only that, we live in an area of the United States where the Christian faith reigns as the dominant religion of choice. Furthermore we live in a metroplex where there are tons of church choices, and of those there are a good number who actually preach biblical truth. It is easier to hear the accurate Word of God proclaimed here than it is in almost any corner of the world.

Our home church is passionate about being salt and light to the world. Not just our immediate area, but the world. It is so easy to forget how big the world really is. 7 billion people. 7 billion. Our “world” is often confined to our immediate surroundings – the D/FW metroplex (population roughly 7 million). Think about that – the urban sprawl that is D/FW represents one-tenth of one percent of the world’s population. Think about the crime, poverty, homelessness, seediness, and need that we directly see in our community. Multiply that by one thousand. Considering that we live in one of the most affluent areas on the planet, you’d better multiply that by a hundred thousand.

Our eyes were first opened to the world’s needs via Compassion International. A few years ago, we were introduced to this wonderful ministry by our home group leaders at the time, Claude and Celeste Drury. Their faithful service to the Lord includes their work on behalf of Compassion: introducing people to the work of the organization, and serving as a conduit for donations/sponsorships of needy children across the globe. We have cheerfully given on behalf of a young girl named Erika for over half of her life, and we love to receive her letters describing how our donations are being used to help clothe her, feed her, educate her, but most of all introduce her to the all-wonderful Jesus. We don’t miss the $38. But to Erika and her family? Riches.

I think that our path toward adoption probably started with young Erika, and our measly $38-per-month. How beautiful is the body of Christ, if this is the case. The work of Claude and Celeste (and by extension those who came before them) began a tenderizing of our hearts that wouldn’t begin to sprout toward adoption for half a decade. The work of the Holy Spirit is so beautifully unseen yet mighty. It reaches out across all of humanity, like little roots that grow like wildfire, unseen below the earth.

A September 2010 study by the US Department of Health & Human Services cites that a little over 100,000 children in the United States are waiting to be adopted. Of that figure, 90% currently live in either foster homes or pre-adoption homes. They receive food & shelter. They have hope, even if adoption never comes. America is still a land of great opportunity.

Up-to-date statistics for Africa are not as readily available, but consider this staggering number: in 2003, 43 million children (roughly 12% of children) in the sub-Saharan region of Africa were orphans, a percentage almost twice as many as Asia, which checked in around 7% (reference: Orphans in Africa).

Are any children more worthy of adoption than others? Certainly not. We do believe, however, that American orphans have a better chance of “success” than international ones. What is the hope for an unadopted African orphan? To live in an orphanage for a few years, then (if alive) be thrust into a third-world of poverty and little opportunity? Doesn’t that cycle seem to be a repeating one?

That is one of the reasons that our hearts beat for African adoption. We are not oblivious or naïve: it is simpler, cleaner, and more “acceptable” to adopt a white orphan from America. No stares at the grocery store. No whispering about a mixed set of races amongst the children. No lingering “deep south” prejudices to fight against.

There are many who would probably classify us as weird, neurotic, take your pick. But we cannot deny the tugging at our hearts that has been so evident over the past few months. The things that used to matter to us have started to taste bitter (thank you, Spirit). Our hearts have been softened and re-wired. We take great hope that the Apostle Paul wrote “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ (Phil. 3:7)”. Our hope is that some child’s loss will end up serving as an earthly gain. Your will be done, Father.

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For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Romans 12:3-5

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