The Adoption Journey

In May 2005 I asked a question that would change our lives forever. “Lord, do You want us to adopt?” The question came while I was in Ukraine serving orphans…and God’s answer was undeniable. Could I return home and stand in my church service with hands raised, singing to the God who created these children for His glory and yet do nothing?

At the time, we had only been married for six months, and we began to pray about growing our family through adoption. A few months later we began the process to adopt a child from China. I spent much of my time daydreaming about the cherubic, perfect little Chinese girl that would one day be placed in my arms. But deep in my heart was a nagging question:  “What about the special needs kids?” Fear gripped my heart. Was this the Lord? Surely not!  How many newly married couples adopt as a first choice? We had enough people questioning our actions already. We were already sacrificing to adopt at all. Wasn’t this enough? I’ll admit it—I was terrified to ask the Lord the question, “Do You want us to adopt a special needs child?”

Why was I afraid? Because I knew I wouldn’t have thought up this idea myself. The question itself was from Him. Reluctantly we began to pray about it. Again, God’s answer was undeniable. He used a story from 2 Samuel 9 to change my heart. It was about a crippled man named Mephibosheth. King David brought this man into his home and treated him as a son.

What does this Old Testament story have to do with our adoption story? Everything!  As I read that passage I asked the Lord, “So You want me to adopt a Mephibosheth?” The Lord whispered to my heart, “You are Mephibosheth.” I began to weep. I was broken. I didn’t come to God beautiful and cherubic. I was crippled by sin, and yet the King made me a son.  How could I accept His grace so freely, yet be so unwilling to give it away? This adoption wasn’t about us getting a child, it was about a child getting a family; and it was about the gospel being lived out in our lives.

In July 2007 we walked into the Civil Affairs Office in China and there sat our daughter.  The funny thing is, my daydream came true that day as they placed a perfect, cherubic little Chinese toddler in my arms. We didn’t see the scars on her lip or the cleft inside her mouth…we saw her as God sees her. Created perfectly by Him and for Him.

To date we have had countless appointments with plastic surgeons, geneticists, dentists, audiologists, and speech pathologists. She has undergone three surgeries, and there will be more. We have endured insensitive questions and comments from strangers. Eden is learning to answer her friends’ questions about the “boo-boo” on her lip with gentleness and kindness. There are definitely challenges.

But, oh, the joy! The love. The transformation. The blessing. The opportunities to share Christ. The hugs and kisses and giggles and snuggles. She is not a special needs child…she is our daughter. And she is worth it all!