What On Earth Have We Done?

This week I was looking at the photo album of Charlie's life that Bethel gave us.  The first picture starts when he is 2, when he first arrived at Bethel, and the last one is when he is "meeting" us via Skype.  I have looked at this a few times over the past months, and enjoy getting glimpses into his life before us.  But this week looking at those pictures broke me.  I wept.  I was suddenly struck by all of those years that this sweet and amazing boy went without a family.  His file was prepared when he was 2, and we were told that we were the first family to ever even request to look at it.  Charlie!  The most amazing kid!  No one had ever even asked to look at his file.

So, my heart broke for him.  But it was also a fresh reminder (and I believe from the Lord) that there are so many other kids, that are just as amazing as Charlie, that are waiting for someone to step up and ask for their file.  They are still fatherless.  They are watching the other, younger kids get adopted.  Their hearts are breaking.  God's heart is breaking. And so is mine.  I am specifically praying for a family for Robbie.  He is just as awesome as Charlie, looks great in a tux, and would bring so much joy to any family.  Yet he waits, and waits.

I personally believe that adoption can literally change the world.  In China, orphans age out of the system at 14 years old.  If they are not adopted, they can't do much for the world, but the world does a lot to them.  If they are adopted, they become brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, engineers, teachers, lawyers, nurses, doctors, social workers, world CHANGERS!



I don't have to tell you how many people Charlie has already blessed.  If you read this blog, you know.  If you know him, you know.  (And he is even more of a blessing now that he is on medication for ADHD-- Ha!)  But, who knows what would have happened to him, had we not said YES to God's call to adopt?  We might be crazy, we might be brave, but we're not special.  We are normal people who don't want to regret not doing something that we know is the right thing to do.

We have been home nine months, and there are still days that I am so overwhelmed that I think, "What on earth have we done?"  But I never, ever regret the decision decision to adopt.  I know that adoption is not for everyone.  Not everyone is called to adopt, not everyone is equipped to do it.  But I do believe that many, many people would like to, like the idea of it, but just never take the leap.  If you think you might be called, please talk to us.  Please pray about it.  Talk to your family about it. You can change the world, one vulnerable child at a time.