Why we are adopting, part II

It was hard for me to believe we were actually walking into an adoption seminar. Just to get this far reflected answered prayers beyond anything I had experienced. It had taken many years to get to this point, but in His time, God had removed the barrier of income, so that now we did meet the financial requirements. He had created within both Eric and me a likemindedness to at least be open to the possibility. I was a happy woman.

Eric had said emphatically before we walked in that we wouldn't be signing anything, that we were just there to gather information and then we'd pray about it. That was fine with me. After all, it is a huge step! 

The seminar was great and really, it was more like a Bible study on how God views adoption. Plus at the end there were testimonies from other families in process and a sweet video featuring Stephen Curtis Chapman and his family.

The most important thing that I think both of us learned is that God does not view adoption as second best, or a last resort. It is just as valid in His eyes as a biological birth. In fact, we are His by adoption! This truth transformed my thinking about adoption in general, and my relationship to God specifically, and it is still being transformed day by day. The agency's motto is Romans 8:15: "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

At the end, we stood up to leave, and Eric hesitated just for a moment, then smiled and said, "Can we go ahead and sign up today?"

We didn't sign up right then, though. We waited a couple of weeks and sent in our application. Soon we were approved and we were officially on the roller coaster ride of adoption.