It's Not About Us

It's about the life of a child! When Mark and I began the process to adopt, we wanted to be parents. We hoped that would happen for us. We wanted to raise a child, nurture, love that child. Help him or her grow to be responsible, productive members of society. Someone who cares about others, who looks beyond themselves.
So, now we are parents - we've achieved that goal, fulfilled that dream. We have a beautiful daughter who we will raise, nurture, love - help her to reach her full potential. We knew that parenthood would not always be easy and we entered the ranks of fellow parents recognizing that some days would be easier than others. That we would get less sleep, have less money, more mess, more stress, get attitude (oh, yes... Miss Maia has got some attitude - lol!), and that our lives would forever be changed.
We didn't anticipate that Mark would lose his job after we returned home with Maia. But, it is a gift that he is able to be a full time dad to our daughter - and not miss out on those moments that wouldn't have been possible if he was still driving truck. We had hoped to get Maia's adoption expenses paid off quickly (not going to happen). She is just starting to learn what it's like to be part of a family, we are starting to notice that she is feeling more secure, she is thriving because she has love and attention that she has never known before.
Adopting another child is certain to increase the sleep deprivation, cause us to tighten our finanacial belts even more, make our house messier, and "smaller," and create additional stress for Maia. We will have another child who has never known what is like to be part of a family and we will all have to adjust.
And in spite of this, we have made an intentional choice to embark on this adoption journey again. Why? Because on the other side of the world, there is a child that captured my heart. A child whose life is at risk. If he is not adopted, he will be transferred to a place where he will receive minimal care. He will not know what it is like to have a family that loves him, he won't have kisses and hugs, he won't go to school or have the opportunity to learn. He won't have opportunity. He will exist until he doesn't exist any more. His life will be lost.
And it is within our power to do something about it. God has chosen Matthew to be our son and He expects us to be faithful to that calling. We recognize that the road ahead will be challenging, but we trust that God has placed us on this journey for His purpose - not ours!
So... it is NOT about us! It is about the life of our son. When I think about the ultimate sacrifice that God made - His son's life for my sins... well, somehow the sacrifices I may have to make in my "cozy" life seem pretty minimal. Especially when I think about the little boy who is waiting on the other side of the world, perhaps dreaming of a new life and a family of his own. A little boy who has seen other children leave with their new parents and wonders if his time will ever come. Soon, sweet boy, soon - it will be about you and your new life!