Adoption

I remember hearing the story of a young man who was talking about his family, and more specifically his brother.  He said, "I know one of us is adopted, but I forget which one."  Most likely that would not be the politcally correct method of discloser today, but it does point out the fact of unconditional love and the value of embracing the orphan.

At Focus on the Family one of our "hot button" initiatives is encouraging pastors to motivate their congregations to look into the value and blessing of adoption.

On our staff here in Colorado Springs several of my colleagues have adopted children from far away places — yet we have been reminded of the thousands of children in our own state of Colorado who are parentless.  One of my staff members is soon to be the 'new' grandfather of foster-adopted twins.  The adoptive parents have faced a lot of challenges with their new children, but just think what the lives of those babies would have been like without the loving, caring, and even sacrificial attention given by this devoted couple.

I know adoption is not for everyone, but it is a viable option.  One of the ladies who works with me and has an adopted son said to me one day, "Remember, it is not like getting a puppy." She is so right!

One of the things about adoption is that not only does it provide a loving home for children, but it becomes a tool for evangelism.  Just think .. not only are we given the privelege of helping to mold a life and set that child on a life course, but we have the blessing of becoming "spiritual parents" as well.  Many adopted children will never know Jesus as Savior if someone who knows Him as Lord is not given access into their lives. 

Again, adoption is not for everyone, but there might just be a person in your congregation who could open up their homes and hearts either as a foster or adoptive parent.  Please feel free to access more information about orphans on our website www.icareaboutorphans.org. Who knows what God might have in mind.

Comments

[Pastor Neal Holt]

Brother London,

Thank you so much for addressing adoption. My wife and I have twelve children. When we got married almost 17 years ago I adopted her four daughters. Then together we have adopted six boys and two girls. We not only have a mixed home but we have a mixed racial home. We have also done foster care both in California and in Missouri.

However, to many times have I seen adopted families or even families who do foster care treated as second class members of their church. They very seldom ever get invited out to peoples homes or even to dinner at a restaurant. This really becomes apparent if the family has over three kids. There needs to be training for pastors on how to reach these families that are in their churches.

My wife and I still struggle with this today. We still have eight kids in the house and she home schools. In the past seven years we have only been invited out to another home five times. We understand that we overwhelm some people. But what would a Christian do if five thousand came for dinner?

Adoption has been a wonderful blessing for the both of us. There are moments, as with any kid, that it becomes trying. I serve a Big God who helps us through. However, adoptive children and foster children all have special needs that others don't seem to have. This also needs to be one of those tools in a Pastor's bag. The best thing to do is to ask the parents how may the church best serve them.

Thank you and God Bless.