Is God calling us to adopt?
Ashley Thrift
It’s not that I did not want to adopt. We weren’t against adoption. We just never had a reason to entertain the thought.
Until one Monday morning, out of nowhere, God laid it on my heart.
“Adopt? Really?”
I asked God over and over. I needed clarity, affirmation — something. When I pictured a family of six in my head, the thought never entered my mind that one of those children would be adopted.
Pray, Pray, Then Pray Some More
Was this really God telling us to adopt? Right now!?
I rationalized with logic:
“God knows our living situation, we are slap out of room in our home.”
“Our family will not understand.”
“Can we even afford another child?”
Jeremiah 29:13 tells us when we seek God with all of our hearts, we will find him. As I prayed earnestly seeking Him for these answers, God answered and affirmed. I would share what I felt God speaking with my husband. But the burden to adopt only continued to grow as I prayed, and the more I asked for affirmation, the more God began to answer through promises in the Bible, providential circumstances, and even conversations with random strangers.
I also prayed for God to confirm this calling through my husband, in which He did. As we grew more and more certain that this burden was from the Lord, we began our application process for adoption.
Take A Step of Faith
2 Corinthians 5:7 says we live by faith, not by sight. Sometimes, God will call us to do things we cannot understand. Adoption might now have been in our plans for this year, but our time is not God’s time. We can make our plans, but God determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9). And God’s plans really are greater than ours.
My husband and I did not understand why God was calling us to adopt or why He would tell us to adopt right now. But taking steps of obedience — even before we know the outcome — is how faith grows. It also allows us to see God’s blessings as they are happening.
When we're desperate or on the lookout for God to move, we're more likely to notice His hand in our lives. He's always at work, but taking steps of faith fills us with anticipation and expectation we often don't have when going through normal routines.
Watch and See What Obedience Brings
Active obedience always demonstrates genuine faith, and genuine faith always results in a changed life. In James 2:18, Jesus’ brother says, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do!”
Where we do not see the big picture of the puzzle that God already sees, He gives us small pieces at a time. With each step of obedience, another piece of the puzzle gets added and the bigger picture starts to become more clear. It’s not meant for us to understand the why of what God calls us to do; it is simply meant for us to trust Him.
Our adoption process hasn’t been completed, but we won’t give up. Just because odds may go up against us, we have God on our side — and our faith in Him is greater than any obstacle we may face.
Has God placed adoption or fostering on your heart? Pray about it. He will affirm what’s been weighing on you if you seek out His counsel on the matter. God prepares us for He calls us to. All we need to do is be still and listen to His guidance.