The Journeys of Life

Several people have expressed fear or discouragement about adoption when they have looked at our adoption journey. That is certainly understandable. There have been seasons for us where we felt discouraged and hopeless in our adoption journey. 

But I would also love to share another perspective that God sometimes graces us with. It is a beautiful perspective where we are able to see not only the painful part of our journey, but also the tremendous redemption and reconciliation God has brought and is bringing through our journey. And although adoption is a big one for us (almost five years of waiting and three adoptions that never finalized), He has helped us see these same things in other painful journeys in our lives. I have been most shaped and most transformed by the hard things God has allowed into my life. He has taken me from an empty life of checklists and morality to a deepening walk with Him. He continues to woo me into active dependency on Him day by day, actually exercising faith and trust. He has given me direction and purpose for what He has specifically for my life. I have finally experienced His love for me, instead of just knowing of it. 

All those things (and many others) came about from the hard things of life, not the easy comfortable seasons. Honestly, if our adoption journey (as well as previous hard seasons in my life) would have gone the way I wanted, I would not have learned any of the things above. I would still be trying to walk in obedience to God without really giving Him my heart. I would still be struggling with all my might to be self-sufficient, controlling and manipulating to get what I think is best. (Well, God is still working on this area, but He has brought change already). I would still be living a coma-like life instead of pursuing the plans He has for me right now. I would still know His love intellectually, but feel that He is very far away. 

This year, as we see friends who adopt after waiting much less time, or friends having second, third and fourth babies, what has been so helpful to me is that we really all have our own God ordained journey. John 21: 20-22 has been a great encouragement to me. I am paraphrasing here, but Jesus basically says, worry about the journey I have for you, not the journey I have for someone else. I love that. It has been very helpful for me. I don't have to compare my journey with someone else, but walk in the journey God gives. That brings a lot of freedom.