Internet and What Adoption Is and Isn't

Well, I'm here. And not without Internet after all. The Time Warner guy refused to put in the cable line because the sprinkler system people were there. Even though his line and their lines weren't anywhere near each other . . . even though it was less than four feet long and wouldn't have taken ten minutes . . . it was extremely hot yesterday afternoon and he, in my opinion, just didn't want to do it. But we do have Internet . . . so there's that.

This post isn't going to be about the cable guy. Don't worry. It's not going to be about the house or moving either. Hear that? Huge sigh of relief from Internet land. Since I'm not sure how to segue into a totally different topic, I'll just jump right in.

People tell us we're doing a good thing by adopting. They think it's wonderful that we are "rescuing" a little girl from an orphanage. And while I always, always appreciate their kind words, I also cringe just a little bit everytime I hear them. Because y'all we're not adopting to do "a good thing" nor are we adopting to "rescue an orphan". There is just so much more to it than that.

Adoption is a beautiful thing. Adoption is the perfect picture of what Christianity is all about . . . taking us out of the world and adopting us into the family of the King of Kings. Quite remarkable isn't it? So yes, adoption of a child, an orphan, someone without anyone is amazing. But, as I've said before, adoption isn't orphan rescue. I know that there are some who would disagree with me. But if adoption is solely for the purpose of saving an orphan then I think, in the end, there will be some dissatisfaction there.

There are those in the world of adoption who would have you believe that everyone (and by "everyone" I mean EVERYONE . . . sorry . . . I'm not shouting . . . just emphasizing) should adopt. There are those that think that to not adopt is wrong, but once again, I just can't agree with this. We are adopting because we desire to add a child to our family through the process of adoption. Yes, through adopting we are in essence rescuing an orphan, but our daughter will never be our project. She will never be our mission field except in the sense that both of our children are our first mission field. She will be our daughter. Will there be challenges? That's for sure and for certain. Will there be struggles? Most likely, yes. But once she is ours, she will be ours. She will be our daughter and Andrew's sister, not the little girl we rescued from the orphanage.

To say that all should adopt, is to say that all should move to Africa or the Amazon. To say that all should adopt is to say that orphans are a project, a mission field to be conquered. If you need a project or a mission field give to an orphanage. Go on a mission trip. By all means move to Africa. If that's what God wants you to do then go for it. But if you want a child to love and cherish as your own, and you feel like God is calling you to do that through adoption, then and only then adopt.

The truth is we're over two years into this thing. The newness and excitement of it all have worn off a bit only to be replaced by patient and sometimes not so patient waiting. It doesn't win us any awards. There's nothing fun or glamorous about fingerprints, and reports, and doctor's letters, and home studies, and paying lots of money to various agencies, and then repeating it all every! single! year! It's a lot of paperwork and waiting and hoping that the FBI sends back your fingerprints approved (not so subtle hint). So if you're in it, you'd better really be in it. You'd better be committed, because believe it or not, waiting is work.

And when it's all said and done, when we finally receive our referral . . . scratch that, when we finally get our daughter home, all the stress and the waiting will all be more than worth it.