The "A" Word

Adoption is something I've thought about now for some time...."thought" being the key word here.  I always thought it was wonderful for those families who were called by the Lord to adopt, but it just wasn't for us. 

I have always wanted three children, so when I was pregnant with Will, I had the idea that my perfect family would be complete.  I always wanted my son to be the oldest, a daughter to be my second (so that she could be the "princess" of the family), and another son to be the youngest.  Will was born on September 26th, and went into the arms of Jesus on August 29th, 2008.  Will's body had several needs and he endured much during his short time on this Earth, but he taught us so much during that short time.  One important lesson was that we can't plan our lives.  We can't plan this picture perfect family with a picture perfect ending.  When everything is perfect in our lives, then where is there room for God? We learn and grow through life's ups and downs.  He also taught us to smile during the hard times.  Will had a feeding tube, a trache, and open heart surgery; yet through it all, he always seemed to have a smile for his family, his many visitors, doctors and nurses.

Will has been with Jesus for a little over 2 1/2 years, and the question "Are you going to have another child" has come up a lot.  After testing by a genetesist, we found that Will's disorder was genetic.  We've prayed about whether or not we should have another child, but have come to the realization that we're getting older, and the thought of a pregnancy, nursing, lack of sleep, etc. sounds exhausting.  For quite some time now, I've heard the word "adoption" here and there, but kept pushing it aside.  Well, I've learned very quickly that when the Lord is calling you to be obedient, it is very hard to ignore him.  We hear the word adoption in movies, television, magazing covers and articles, radio programs, at church, etc.  I had also heard of close friends adopting on facebook, and close friends here in Wauchula had also mentioned that they were praying about adoption.  We even had a "Ladies Night" at our church recently, and our guest speaker, the one and only Sandi Patty, had shared her story about how they adopted their son, "Sam."  The "A" word has been everywhere, and it's been very hard to ignore! I'm so happy that we listened to Him, and have stepped out in faith in the journey of Adoption!!