Eight Months with Little Man - What I Have Learned

I walked down memory lane when I searched all my posts about adoption on this blog. Oh the flood of very real and raw emotions that I processed. This has been the most difficult thing of my life so far and believe me I have walked some hard things. But I would not trade it for the world.

Today I went back to the place I first met our little man. It was surreal in my mind. Again those emotions flooded my heart afresh again. But it was good. It was bringing this journey closer to completion.

Here are some things I have learned so far on this journey:
1- There is only one Savior, Jesus Christ. As much as you want to become another's savior, it is not your place. You must let people make their own choices as heartbreaking as that may be. Yet you can keep praying for them. Do not enable them to live in ways that are not God honoring.

2- We all are only a few choices away from falling into the same sin that we so despise. The sin that ripped our little man from his biological parents is only a few bad choices away from any of us.

3- You really can deeply love a child that you did not give birth to. This was probably my biggest fear in this process. Yet true love is there.

4- When you get real serious about following God in things like helping the orphans serious warfare will confront you. Yet it is not to be feared, we can stand strong in the midst of it and know God is in control so anything He may allow will result in a greater good in the end. It also shows us that when the tough things come we are not the kind to give up and walk away.

5- If you chose to step in as a guardian of a child be certain it will be a roller coaster of emotions. Be certain too it will be messy!

6- You realize that even though you see some really poor parenting, you yourself are not any better. You just make different mistakes, all sin. You gain empathy for others.

7- When you roll up your sleeves and work hard to be an instrument God can use to heal a child it will not be easy but there is nothing more beautiful. You get a front row seat of a miracle.

8- You will never understand why someone will not fight for their children but it breaks your hearts and you pray for their deep brokenness. Then you become thankful that God allowed you to step in and fight for their life.

9- When God places a desire in your heart, He will see it through but in His ways and in His time.

10- We are stronger than we think in HIM as a family. We really do know how to come together in love.

So where do we stand? The end is unknown yet the clock is ticking. Permanency will come soon. In the meantime we faithfully pray, work and wait.