Thankful for Adoption

I'm reminded on a daily basis of how thankful I am that Jesus leads us by HIS Ways...and I truly am thankful that His Ways are not our ways. I've mentioned it before, but left to our own we would have never even considered adoption...not until the Lord moved so clearly on our hearts. 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways

 and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55 8-9

And what a JOY it has been to follow Him and be blessed by our sweet daughter! 

Our eyes have been opened and our hearts have been broken as we have journeyed into this world of adoption...I continually have a picture in my mind of Kaylee's crib room and the many sweet ones just sitting in there day after day. And to think that our Kaylee Grace was sitting in that lifeless room just 3 1/2 months ago...and to see her now ~ 

all the LIFE, all the GIGGLES, all the JOY!

We have many friends who are in the process of adoption right now or just about to start...it is an honor to pray for them as they journey through this beautiful work. 

We pray as a family for the MILLIONS of orphans who sit in orphanages/foster homes all around the world who desperately need a forever family. We also pray for the many AWESOME organizations who are bringing Christ to these children all around the world. Our friend, Belay, from His Little Feet reminded us that the most important work is that these organizations reach the fatherless with the TRUTH of the GOSPEL (Jesus made a way for ALL of us to be ADOPTED as God's children and spend eternity with Him!!!). As Belay says...if they have Jesus, they will always have hope...whether they get a family or not, they will have all they need. Of course the BEST option for these precious children would be to get adopted into a loving, Christ-centered home where they can be loved on with Jesus' love...so they can SEE and FEEL Christ's love every day!

As a family, we know that our work with orphans is not done just because we adopted one...we are called to take care of them and reach them with Christ's love so that their lives can be changed for all eternity. We are always praying about what that looks like and what Jesus wants us to do to be His hands and feet. 

In a few months, Brodie and Kennady will be heading to Haiti to LOVE ON some sweet children who have not been adopted yet.

And in the mean time, Miss Kaylee is advocating with her cute shirt that Auntie Julie got for her...

Wearing her 147 Million Orphans shirt 

There are SO many ways to support/care for/love on orphans!

I don't know the exact number of orphans worldwide... I've heard different statistics - 

147 million, 163 million... either way, it's WAY too many. 

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why he allows 

poverty, famine and injustice in the world, when He 

could do something about it...but I'm afraid He may 

ask me the same question." Anonymous.

We are all called to do SOMETHING... I heard another statistic one time...that if all the evangelical Christian's in the world decided to adopt, there would be 147 million families waiting to adopt rather than 147 million orphans waiting. We can't ever underestimate the power of working together and each of us doing our part! With God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!! 

Here are just a few ways that we can all make a difference!

Support/Feed ~ Sponsor a child who is an orphan

Give towards another family's adoption ~ Some may not be called to adopt but rather to help others to be able to adopt!

Raise awareness ~ Have an Orphan Choir come to your church!

So thankful that it is HIM who works in us to do His good work!!! (Philippians 2:13) All we have to do is follow :)