"Congratulations! We're so excited for you! What made you all choose adoption?!"
This was the way many people responded to Drew and I when we announced that we were beginning the adoption process. Sometimes we do wish we had a long, drawn out, super spiritual answer as to why we are adopting. The truth is... we just feel called to it. Simple as that.
Typically the follow up question to that is, "So, have you all been struggling to get pregnant? Because you know, its funny, people always get pregnant when they start the adoption process." When the conversation takes this turn many things run through my mind...
First, wow, that's not really any of your business.
Second, does it really matter?
Third, last time I checked adoption wasn't a fertility treatment.
Once those thoughts have zipped by, I answer, "No, we haven't been struggling. Just seems very clear to us that the Lord would like us to adopt before trying to have our own." (insert confused looks here)
As mentioned in a previous post, Drew and I felt at peace about starting this process during the fall of 2016. The first step of that process was research. We knew people wouldn't understand why we were choosing adoption before trying to have a biological child first. So part of the research was how to answer these questions. Now, when I say research that includes prayer and spending time with the Lord. We knew the Lord would provide us with the answers, those were not going to come from a blog or other website. We came across a sermon by John Piper that illustrates similarities "between what God did in adoption and what happens in a Christian adoption today." This sermon blew our minds. It made everything so clear.
Many people view adoption as Plan B. That is why those nosy, awkward, uncomfortable questions are asked. The thought process is, you are adopting...you must not be able to conceive. John Piper does an amazing job explaining that there is not a Plan B when it comes to adoption. Adoption was part of God's Plan A.
"Adoption in God’s mind was not Plan B. He predestined us for adoption before the creation of the world. Plan A was not lots of children who never sin and never need to be redeemed. Plan A was creation, fall, redemption, adoption so that the full range of God’s glory and mercy and grace could be known by his adopted children. Adoption was not second best. It was planned from the beginning."
Adoption: The Heart of the Gospel
I mean, wow! That is so clear!
So there you have it. We are adopting. We are adopting because we feel very strongly that this is the plan our Lord and Savior has for us. Will we try to have a biological child at some point? Absolutely. But for now, adoption is how we will grow our family. And we could not be more excited!!
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1: 11-12