So… You Want to Ask About Their Adoption {a guide}

If you’ve been around me for more than four or five seconds, you’ve probably heard me talk about my church family. Seriously. I love those people. I could list a whole plethora of reasons but that might (a) bore you or (#2) make you jealous. Not a good blog outcome either way.

But, I will take this opportunity to tell you just one of the things I love about them. I love their collective heart for adoption. We are a people who has been captured by the idea. Why? Two reasons come readily to mind:

First, because it is such a beautiful picture of the way God loves people and “adopts” them into His family. We cry out in a spirit of adoption, calling Him our Abba. Intimacy. Love. Family. It’s all about the relationship… not duty-bound religion.

But that’s not all; we’re bullish on adoption because we see God’s heart for the orphan all throughout the Bible. As we come to know Him, our heart mirrors His. For a whole host of reasons and circumstances, the heartbreaking truth is that there are children who have been left behind by their biological parents. We want to be a people who steps into that void and takes some of those children into our own families. Some of our families came to that place because they also struggled with infertility. Some did not. Either way, they have joined in God’s plan to love orphans by bringing them home and making them their own, very real sons and daughters.

While each of my friends would absolutely call their kiddos blessings, I know it hasn’t always been without struggle for them. Parenting never is. But, adoption comes with its own set of wrinkles. Not regret, mind you. But unique challenges just the same. One of those is the comments and questions that come from others – especially if their child is visibly of a different ethnicity.

Yesterday over at Rage Against the Minivan, Kristen shared this video that a friend of hers put together. It’s a great poke at some of the questions that sometimes come to adoptive parents. I pass it on as a good laugh but also as a reminder to be thoughtful as you inquire about these precious ones.

Video credit: Rain City Church on Vimeo.

Grace and peace,

Balance in Motherhood

Balance. It seems to be an elusive goal for most modern women. We want to be able to do it all. To keep all the balls in the air – each one weighted perfectly so that we can keep this whole act going. I have my suspicions that balance might be nothing more than a buzzword. A modern construct that we talk about a lot but don’t really grasp.

What’s more, I’m not sure it’s even a laudable goal – does the Bible call us to balance? I don’t think it does.

Over at The Better Mom, we set out to tackle some of these very questions in an April series about Balance. As I read the pieces from my fellow contributors, I see many of them coming to the same place I have – questioning this notion of balance all together.

On Monday I shared some of my perspective in a post about “balancing” ministry and motherhood. Yes, I know Monday was two days ago. Sorry. I blame it on the marriage class that Rick and I are leading on Monday nights. And Caleb’s LAX season. And, Easter preparations. And, my friend in surgery. And… well, you know how it goes. Clearly, I am not keeping all the balls in the air. {wink}

Sigh.

Grace and peace,