God placed adoption on my heart a long long time ago. I can remember back in high school telling people I was going to adopt a child someday. I know it is a calling from the Lord. I also know that it is a command from the Lord to take care of the orphan (James 1:27). It is hard for me to grabble with how much of adopting has to be a clear calling. Let me back up a little.
I am sure many of you have talked with people who are slightly or very interested in adoption. Most of these people seem to think of it as an option to consider in the future. And sadly in my experience, most of these people end up writing off the option because of money. This is hard for me to hear. Like I already mentioned, I know that God has to work in a person/couples lives to bring them to the place of considering becoming adoptive parents. I get hung up though when I hear people tell me the cost is what stops them from moving forward on their interest in adoption. I wonder if the calling from God to adopt is simply having the idea and desire (which many many people have) and then the actually action of moving forward to rescue an orphan is the obedience part. I wonder how much of the high percentage of people who consider adoption and then decide not to is because it is not what God wants for them or Satan getting them to believe his lies and back down in fear of the unknown. I do not try and play God and have the answer to this. I know that it is a very personal issue and both options for not choosing adoption are possible. Or maybe people just say they are interested in adoption because it sounds like the right thing to say. I just wonder if all the people who consider option actually followed through and walked into the unknown what that would do for the billions of orphans and unwanted babies.