The typical abortion costs $350 to $500. The typical non-foster care domestic adoption costs $5,000 to $30,000. The cost of the average international adoption begins at $25,000. Most families look at those numbers and decide that the cost is too much to adopt. The cost will only continue to grow as fewer and fewer children are available for adoption. $350 seems such a reasonable price for a solution.
Jeremy and I have prayed over the decision to adopt. It has been on my heart since my first daughter was very young. I had just had emergency surgery for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. I lost one fallopian tube and my chances for more children were cut in half. I wondered whether it was better to provide a home for a child already waiting than to try to have more of my own. At the time I was too young and had too little income.
Fast forward thirteen years and the desire to adopt has not lessened. God blessed us with two more little girls, he also sustained me through two additional miscarriages. There is a palpable emptiness in my heart and a space in our family waiting to be filled. God spoke to my husband as he watched the devastation in Haiti and told him that now is the time.
God placed a certain country in Africa on my husband's heart before we even began to research adoption. As we began the process, we discovered that that country is the only country that allows adoption to families with three biological children still at home. Within days the magazine we subscribe to arrived with a cover story on the pro-life movement and adoption. The agency we found accepted us though our financial situation excluded us from several other agencies. The lady to whom I spoke, and who will be handling our adoption, has also adopted from Africa and is in the process of doing so again. And so God set in motion a miracle. We are a family with a place waiting for a child, there is a child yet to be born who will need a family, and God is orchestrating it all from his holy throne.
Of what value is a human soul? We are told that our child will cost $28,000. We have about half of that amount right now. I want to clinch my fists and beat the air and scream, "Why have you demanded from us what we cannot possibly give!?" I am like the rich young ruler who turned away from Jesus when he was told to give up his worldly possessions and follow Him. How tightly I have held onto the material when God wishes to bless me with the eternal.
Like Grandpa told Charlie - Money is common. They make more of it every day. But golden tickets are very rare and chances like this may never come again.
Lord, here I am.
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