When we decided to pursue adoption, I didn’t realize that there would be so many lessons I would learn. There are 5 things that stand out to me as the most important things adoption has taught me. I’m so thankful that adoption has not only given me a family I could have never dreamed of, but it has also expanded my horizons for what is possible.
Here are 5 things I have learned since adopting.
1. Anything is Possible
If there is one thing I now truly believe after adopting, it is that with God’s help, anything is possible!
Here’s why.
We were completely clueless about adoption. So many things had to happen for adoption to work for us. We literally could not have done it on our own. So much had to transpire for us to adopt. Thie truth that with God, anything is possible is one of the 5 things I had to learn for adoption to happen.
A heart change
First and maybe the biggest thing of all was that God had to change my heart.
When my husband and I got married, adoption was in no way, shape, or form on my radar. In fact, having kids at all wasn’t on my list. The truth is we didn’t plan to have a family. It took some major intervention from God to move my heart toward adoption. If you’d like more on that story, you can hear all about it in this podcast episode.
Adoption involves significant cost
Secondly, we did not have the money to adopt and we were not in a financial place to be able to save that kind of money. If anything almost kept us from moving forward, money was it.
If we figured out how to pull the financial piece of the adoption puzzle together, anyone can. For real!
Coming up with the thousands of dollars needed to adopt reinforced that anything is possible!
If funding adoption is a concern you have, you might want to check this out.
2. God’s plans are better than our own
So, as I said above, I planned to stay a family of 2. God had other plans! When I compare my old plans to stay how we were to His plans for building our family through adoption, my plan is laughable. And, quite frankly, a bit sad.
I was ready to take this entire lifetime and never experience being a mom. I was ready to never see my husband be a dad. And, he’s an AMAZING one! He’s built for daddy-hood.
Another way that God showed us that His plans are better is that once we decided to pursue adoption, we had no intention of adopting more than one child. Once again, God had different, much better plans.
A BIG surprise
When we got the email from our daughter’s birth mom asking if we would adopt our daughter’s full biological sibling, we were in shock! No one but God could have arranged something like this.
While we planned to stay a little family of three, He had bigger, better plans. And, now, we couldn’t imagine our lives without our son.
God’s plans are better!
To think that if I had been left to my plans, I would have missed this and all that is yet to come…WOW!
3. Family is much deeper than blood
Adoption teaches you that family is so much more than blood. I might as well have given birth to my children. When I say that I am in no way discounting their first mom, their birth mom. She’s amazing and we love her! They obviously wouldn’t be here without her. And, they wouldn’t’ be ours if she hadn’t chosen us to be their parents.
What I mean is that my kids are more my family than my blood family. I have people in my (blood) family that, unfortunately, I don’t have much of a relationship with at all. Family is so much more than blood!
4. I can do hard things
As much as I love being a mom, it’s not always easy. Some days, it’s downright hard! Before adoption, I didn’t have other humans depending on me for survival.
Of the 5 things I cover here, this might be the biggest.
Having 2 kiddos just 18 months apart? Well, let’s just say it has its fair share of challenges at times.
But, one lesson I’ve learned is I can do hard things! I’d go as far as to say I was built to do hard things. I thrive in a good challenge. And, kids are one hard thing that is completely worthwhile.
5. Adoption is a blessing
You may have already gathered this from the other 4 points, I covered. But, adoption is a blessing like nothing else. I love my kids so much and can’t imagine life without them.
Beyond that, adoption has opened my eyes to the world outside of my little bubble. Aside from 2 amazing kids to care for, we have a relationship with their birth mom that is very important to us. She has helped me see just how selfless someone can be. To give birth to two perfect babies and realize that the best decision you can make is to allow someone else to raise them and be their parents…that’s deep stuff. She’s more selfless than I could ever be.
The Fire
Another way I’ve learned how much of a blessing adoption is, is in the words you’re reading right now. Adoption is a blessing because it changed my heart. It gave me a mission like nothing I’ve ever had.
It put a fire under me to share adoption with others. I’m writing these words right now because God made it clear that He blessed me with adoption and that I should share what I’ve learned with others.
If I can go from no desire for kids and no money to afford adoption to a mom blessed by adoption, the least I can do is share what I’ve learned with others. I hope that you come across something on my site that sparks something in you, or someone you know, to look into or move forward with adoption.
Because I can tell you this much…adoption is a blessing and it is so worth it!
These are just 5 things I’ve learned since adopting my 2 amazing kids. I’m sure I can’t imagine how many more lessons God will teach me. But, here I am, ready to grow and learn.
