“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families...”
Psalm 68:5-6a
Why Rwanda?
Rwanda has only recently opened to international adoption, so the process there is still somewhat unpredictable. This is a risk we have decided to take for several reasons, including the relative speed of the adoptive process, the overall cost, and the overwhelming needs of the orphans.
Our adoption, from application to placement, is anticipated to be completed in 10-15 months, so we're hoping for a “due date” in the spring or summer of 2010. The journey ahead will no doubt seem slow and full of new challenges, but we eagerly anticipate the day when we will cross the ocean to embrace our new son or daughter!
Why Adoption?
Tim and I first discussed adoption while we were dating, but for years I viewed it as “something we might do someday, when we're finished having our own children.” Without consciously acknowledging my attitude, I perceived adoption as a second-best or last-resort method of growing our family.
Tim, on the other hand, has always been confident about his desire to adopt. As he told me recently, “Adoption has never been a question of 'if' for me. 'When' and 'how' are the questions, but not 'if.'”
In retrospect I can see that my initial feelings about adoption began to change several years ago, through a series of small but poignant moments God used to soften my heart. It wasn't until recently that I recognized a major heart-shift had occurred—adoption had moved from “second best” to “Plan A.”
The most significant part of this transformation came in the form of an answered prayer.
A Search for Understanding
A few months ago I had a revelation about my faith: I didn't really understand the concept of God's grace. As a teenager I had learned the acronym GRACE: God's Riches At Christ's Expense. It seemed simple enough, and for years I claimed understanding without giving the issue much thought.
But then, through some difficult circumstances, I recognized that I was still trying to “earn” God's approval. In a moment of total honestly, I acknowledged that the idea of grace wasn't simple at all, but rather so profound that it seemed too good to be true! I begged God to help me wrap my feeble mind around this important concept—to give me a tangible picture of His grace.
His answer came a few weeks later, shortly after Tim and I began researching adoption. While I was praying I envisioned a baby sleeping in a crowded orphanage, unaware that across the globe love's arms were already opening wide, sweeping aside every obstacle in their eagerness to embrace.
And then it hit me: In so many ways, I am that helpless child. I've done nothing to deserve God's love, nor could I ever hope to earn His acceptance through my feeble efforts. And when I consider the depth of my brokenness—my selfishness, pride, greed, malice, and an untold host of other sins—I can't understand why God has adopted me as His daughter. But He has. Even before I knew He was there, the work of adoption had already been finished.
More to Learn
This grace God has taught us through adoption is radical—bridging the chasms of time, distance, and culture to embrace a stranger as one's beloved son, daughter, sister, or brother. What a beautiful portrait painted by a loving God!
Our family has much to learn in the coming months, and we already face many unanswered questions: How will we find time to chase down all the necessary paperwork? How will we meet the financial challenges of this process? How long will we have to wait for information about our child? How will our children adjust to their new brother or sister?
We look forward to sharing our discoveries with all of you. We also appreciate your prayers and support as we navigate this unfamiliar path.
With love and hope,
Tim, Alison, Annabell, and Liam
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