Courage

There are so many people on the other side of the world right now meeting or bringing home their new children. As I look at their pictures and read their stories, it really makes my eyes well up with tears. It brings back so many good memories. Not all of these families are in Russia either.


It just is so special to watch their stories unfold. These people have all decided that they have enough love in their hearts to bring a child into their family that does not share their DNA. Adoption isn’t easy. These children lose their birth parents, knowing their family history, and most of the time their country, culture, and language. These parents are willing to count the costs to allow these children to move out of the orphanages and into loving families.

I wore my Ordinary Hero shirt to church yesterday. Well, we all did (a little advertising never hurts). Mine says, “I’m Gonna Change The World”. What does that mean to me? It means that I want God to use me. I want to help others become aware about adoption, but also how we need to care for others outside of our four walls. Do I consider myself a hero (even an ordinary one)? Yes and no. I did not “save” my son, but I did give him a family. He owes me nothing. He’s my hero for overcoming all that he has so far in his short life. But, I consider myself a hero in one way – I said “yes” when God asked. Dictionary.com defines "hero" as, “a [wo] man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for [her] brave deeds and noble qualities.

I feel like God gave me the courage to do something incredibly difficult and out of my comfort zone. I’m just an ordinary person who said “yes” to God and allowed Him to work in my life. I did something brave, so I guess that’s why I consider myself a hero. I think God used us to change our son’s life and our own lives.

So, here we are again – saying “yes” to God. We prayed before starting adoption #2. We always have other “options”, but we haven’t felt peace about them – for us. As I watched these other families’ stories unfold, I wonder how many other people are sensing that call to adopt, but are ignoring it? I wonder how many are scared and don’t think they have the courage to go through such unchartered waters? I’m not speaking to all of you. However, I’m sure everyone has an area they should be saying “yes” to but are scared to move forward. But, for those whose heart breaks for children without a family to care for them, or to give a birth mother an option, what’s stopping you? You may feel ordinary. And, you may not feel like a hero. But, you will be a hero to others because you can show them courage in the face of the unknown. You can say “yes”.

Unfortunately, I am going to end this post with a plug for our fundraiser. The contest to win a grant through Ordinary Hero was extended until tonight due to technical difficulties. I was hoping we could have at least 10 people buy something to give us a chance to win. This fundraiser has been discouraging at times, while sometimes uplifting. But, I believe in Ordinary Hero and I thank them for working with adoptive families. Would you consider helping us today? They have some new bracelets and bangles that would make great Mother’s Day gifts. Please remember to put my name in the affiliate drop down box at check out, so we receive credit.

I’m going to close by saying that we are really struggling at times with our domestic adoption. I envy those that are adopting internationally now because there is at least a time frame. Sometimes these time frames get extended, but it still seems to have more structure. We are struggling with waiting and doing nothing. So, please pray that we would continue to be patient and trust God’s timing for our next child. Thank you!