Have you
ever had someone in your life who has adopted or is praying about adopting or
who is getting ready to start the adoption process? If so, have you ever wondered how you can
encourage or support them? I don’t
pretend to think I know the full extent of the answer to that question but having started the adoption process, here are some things God is teaching me.
When we
become a child of God we become a part of a big family. God, by His grace made a way for us to be a
part of His family. It is a very
beautiful thing. And in bringing us into
family He gives us a community, brothers and sisters. And we need each other.
A year ago
today I took the first step of a 5 step process to adopt here in
Guatemala. That first step was to attend
an information workshop hosted by the adoption agency here. As I sat in that workshop and was given
information about adoption I began to questioning “should I really be doing
this? What am I doing?” and thinking “I
am not prepared. I don’t know about
raising adopted kids. I’m not married.” Those
are all very valid issues. But that is
when we must look up. If God was calling
me to adopt He would prepare me. He would help me know how to raise adopted
children just as He would help me know how to raise any child He gives me, for once they are adopted they are your children. And He would figure out the details of me not being married. I tell you all this to show you that adoptive
parents do doubt, do question, and that is why we need the body of believers
(our family) to come alongside us.
The morning
after I had attended the workshop I woke up questioning myself and the
adoption. More questions and
doubts. That morning I asked God to give
me wisdom to know if I should follow through.
I asked God to lead me by His truth and through godly men and
women.
Fast
forward to later that day. We had a
mission team that had arrived a couple of evenings earlier and they came to
dinner as they do every night while they are here ministering. That particular night as dad asked for prayer
requests I had had the adoption weighing on my heart all day so I spoke
up. I explained how I had kind of gone
into ‘freak out’ mode so to speak. I
believe being led by the Spirit the team leader decided that the prayer time
should be focused on me and so they lifted me and the whole thing up in
prayer. It was a beautiful thing. It was exactly what I needed in the time I
needed it. That time was truly a gift
from God and an answer to my prayer.
So, what
are some ways you can support your friend or family member in adoption? One way is by praying for them. They have doubts and struggles too and the
process will not be easy. They aren’t
super human. They need you to lift them
before the Father. Secondly, pray with
them. Let them know that you are there
to lift them up when they need it. And
also, point them to Jesus. In anything
God asks us to do we need Him in us to be able to walk in His will. When they begin doubting or looking at their
insufficiencies point them to the all-sufficient One.
All this does not only apply to adoptive parents but rather to all
relationships in the body of Christ. We
all question and doubt. We all need
Jesus and we all need each other. We all
need prayer and we all need reminded of the One who is sufficient for all our
needs.
So I
encourage you to keep your heart open today to who you may be able to bless. Maybe you can be the answer to
someone’s prayer.
Blessings,
Kristin
