Have You Considered Adoption?
Have you ever had a friend who became your friend before you even knew them well enough to even consider them a friend? I found that when going with my cousin to church as Mindy & I went to visit & pray about going to Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky. These guys Will & Clay came to talk to us after a Wednesday night service, & we fell in love - it's one of those friendships for life that just sparked immediately.Of course, come to find out, that's just what happens with these guys - everyone thinks they are their best friends! This is so true that several families up & moved - lay folk, not seminarians only, to go a few states east to plant a church. In fact, even though we felt strongly called to missions, Mindy & I prayed & even visited on a vision trip to see if the Lord would want us to plant our lives to help start this church. The Lord wants us in Japan, but our hearts long to work with, beside, & closely to these families that so richly bless all those they come in contact with.
After my historical series on SBC missions in Japan finishes over the next week and a half, I hope to focus on this church plant & those behind it so that you can know their story & be in prayer for these precious people. But here I want to focus on the latest blog post by the teaching pastor at the new church plant, Will, & his touching post on adoption:
Ethan may be the coolest kid you have ever met. Tarah and I adopted Ethan and his sister in 2006 after much prayer and pleading with God to fill our house with children. God answered that prayer bringing great joy to our home. Some moments have been more trying than others.
Ethan was so bad when we first got home from the Ukraine that he spent almost every minute of the day in the corner. I will never forget one day, early on, he was in the corner and was way past due from being released from that torture. Getting out of the corner required one easy step, just say, "I am sorry." Ethan's stubbornness not to say, "I'm sorry," persisted for some time. I'll never forget hearing the thump of Ethan's body hitting the floor. I rushed into the room only to find Ethan's doggedness had persisted so long that he fell asleep while in the corner!
There are so many great stories that Ethan has brought. Like last night, he was talking about his Poppy's (name for his fraternal grandfather) garden. He said, "Daddy, I can't wait to eat all that stuff in the garden. Watermelons, squash, tomatoes, beef . . .” We broke out laughing. "Ethan beef doesn't grow in a garden it comes from a cow!"
The one story that is forever etched in my mind comes from the first day away from the orphanage. I was laying on a coach in Kiev, Ukraine in a small rented apartment. Tarah had returned home to America to care for baby Jedidiah. I was tired and ready to get back to America. My ability to keep my eyelids at bay was becoming a conscious task every twenty seconds. Then I felt some little arms touching my arms. Ethan without inhibitions crawled up onto the coach, mounted my legs, laid his head on my chest, and said, "Moi Pa-pa!" I knew in that moment God had answered my prayers and a special bond between a father and his son was galvanized.
Have you considered adoption?
After my historical series on SBC missions in Japan finishes over the next week and a half, I hope to focus on this church plant & those behind it so that you can know their story & be in prayer for these precious people. But here I want to focus on the latest blog post by the teaching pastor at the new church plant, Will, & his touching post on adoption:
Ethan may be the coolest kid you have ever met. Tarah and I adopted Ethan and his sister in 2006 after much prayer and pleading with God to fill our house with children. God answered that prayer bringing great joy to our home. Some moments have been more trying than others.
Ethan was so bad when we first got home from the Ukraine that he spent almost every minute of the day in the corner. I will never forget one day, early on, he was in the corner and was way past due from being released from that torture. Getting out of the corner required one easy step, just say, "I am sorry." Ethan's stubbornness not to say, "I'm sorry," persisted for some time. I'll never forget hearing the thump of Ethan's body hitting the floor. I rushed into the room only to find Ethan's doggedness had persisted so long that he fell asleep while in the corner!
There are so many great stories that Ethan has brought. Like last night, he was talking about his Poppy's (name for his fraternal grandfather) garden. He said, "Daddy, I can't wait to eat all that stuff in the garden. Watermelons, squash, tomatoes, beef . . .” We broke out laughing. "Ethan beef doesn't grow in a garden it comes from a cow!"
The one story that is forever etched in my mind comes from the first day away from the orphanage. I was laying on a coach in Kiev, Ukraine in a small rented apartment. Tarah had returned home to America to care for baby Jedidiah. I was tired and ready to get back to America. My ability to keep my eyelids at bay was becoming a conscious task every twenty seconds. Then I felt some little arms touching my arms. Ethan without inhibitions crawled up onto the coach, mounted my legs, laid his head on my chest, and said, "Moi Pa-pa!" I knew in that moment God had answered my prayers and a special bond between a father and his son was galvanized.
Have you considered adoption?
* Dr. Russell Moore has just published what is certain to be a helpful book on adoption
