A Sobering Education

One of the requirements for our adoption is completing 10 hours of adoption education. Eight of those hours come from an online course, which Tim and I must complete individually.

I'm about halfway through the course, and so far everything I've learned deals with the risks of international adoption. Few adoptions run from start to finish without some hiccups, and the chances of adopting a "healthy" child are basically zero. The majority of internationally adopted children, especially those coming from orphanages, will arrive in the U.S. with ear or respiratory infections, developmental delays, malnutrition-related growth issues, or some kind of virus.

As I read through the endless lists of physical, mental, and emotional problems our son or daughter may encounter, I keep asking myself, "Can I really handle this?"

The answer, of course, is "no." Not a chance.

I remember dealing with the same question during my first pregnancy, when I agonized over the many birth defects or disorders my daughter could develop. Thankfully, both of my children have been born healthy and whole. So, if I want another baby, and I want him or her to be healthy, the odds definitely suggest that another pregnancy would be a smarter choice than international adoption.

Or would it?

We often base our decisions on odds, chances, likelihoods, and statistics, but what do these things really mean in a world where God is sovereign? If His plan for me is to experience the challenge and growth of caring for a chronically or seriously ill child, then it doesn't matter where that child comes from - my womb or someone else's. I could just as easily give birth to a Down's Syndrome baby as adopt one with Hepatitis. In either case, I would be in way over my head.

But isn't that where God wants me? Each time I'm faced with the reality of my weaknesses, His limitless power shines a little brighter. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "When I am weak, then I am strong." Without acknowledging my own helplessness, I'd never learn to trust Him.

Yes, the thought of adopting an unhealthy child concerns me, but it doesn't have anything to do with our decision to proceed. Healthy or not, all of our children are in God's hands. And it is in His hands that Tim and I will find the strength to face whatever challenges await us on this journey.