Our Story...
I don't know quite where to begin the story. Maybe it starts in November of last year when Gwen and I set three priorities for our home in 2009. They were to open our home, lives, and checkbook. Or maybe in late September when I preached a message on Compassion and urged Christians to begin to see the needs around them and meet the ones they could. But our story heats up in October of this year when I attended Catalyst, a church based leadership conference in Atlanta, GA. In the second session of the second day the team presented the need for Christian couples to adopt one of the 143 million orphans across the world. It hit me like a ton of bricks. But then as I sat there and watch the presentation God as clear as day asked me, "what if it wasn't one of those children, what if it was your child?" What if something happened to both Gwen and I and everyone that we assumed would fill the gap didn't? I begin to cry and would do some for about the next 20 minutes. I had been marked.
I spent the rest of the day and the majority of the ridicules drive from ATL to STL praying and asking God what I was supposed to do. But even as I prayed he was impressing upon me the call to adopt. While shopping the next day I shared with Gwen what I felt God was calling and the conversations began between she, I, and God. We have prayed and prayed and prayed. We weighed all the options but still couldn't determine what the best plan of action was/is. By about the last week of October I came to the conclusion that maybe we should wait; meet a few of our finical goals, get me done with grad school, let things slow down a bit and then maybe explore the options again. And then the next Sunday Dr. Tom Hufty, our interim pastor, preached through the first chapter of James which included 1:27 which classifies true religion as that which cares for orphans. Gwen and I had listened to it separately, and had determined we at least had to take the next step. So we've started.
Our Process...
Right now we're working with Hoyleton a organization contracted by DCFS. We are going through the process to be certified to become foster parents which could in time open the door to adoption. We believe this is the road God is walking us down and are trying to be faithful to HIS call. Everything is up in the air and we have a lot more questions than we have answers. And are having to pray through a lot! We don't know when, how, or what it all will look life, we're just trying to walk faithfully.
Our Prayer Requests...
- That God would provide clarity, if this is God's call we will be as faithful as we know how. If this is not God's call we aught not go down this path.
- That God would open the right doors, and we'll walk through and know when a door has been closed.
- For our marriage as we continue to make this decision, we need to be united upon God's call!
- For the right child, if God carries this process out to the fullest extent we want HIS BEST for our lives, even if that brings us something we weren't expecting.
Our Future...
As of right now we don't know what this will all look like in 3 months or 3 year. Sometimes I still think I will wake up and this will be the classic Abraham sacrificing Issac scenario and God will say he was just testing us. But it's our desire that we follow God as far as he will take this and it is becoming our increasing desire to bring a child into our home to join our family who needs a second shot at life.
We also hope that you will be challenged to consider your role in eliminating the massive orphan problem along with its spiritual implications for the church, I have begun to view James 1:27 quite literally!
Blessings,
