Welcoming Adoption!

As the year comes to a close I feel tired and unfinished.  I always long to be steady and to finish my years well.  One of the things that I have been consciously facing this year has been the nagging feelings of "never enough" that have been with me for most of my life.  I am feeling more free of those feelings today, thankful for all that is.  Christmas, with its busy materialism and excess of all things good and not so good has brought back a few of those nagging doubts.  I welcome those feelings as an encouragement to keep on going in seeking God's fulfillment and way for me.  As much as adoption has brought turmoil and stress to me and my family, it has been a great joy and gift to me over these last years.  We adopted in 2006, 2008 and 2010.  Not this year.  Still there are children in our close circle who are available and longing to be adopted, but for various reasons they are not ours to formally adopt.  This year has brought adoption joy and sadness in my circle of friends.  Most recently a wonderful Christmas surprise miracle adopted baby visited our home with great rejoicing.  Other dear friends are waiting for that miracle of adoption to be theirs.  I know several children who continue to hope for their own families too.

For my family, I do not think that formal adoption of more children would be wise.  Still, I want to always welcome adoption.  Adoption means so much more to me than the formal adoption of one or two or more children.  It is an attitude of open embrace in our lives.  God invites each and every one of us to be His adopted children, forever part of His family.  We can be open to adopting others into our families and circle in ways that are not formal, but nevertheless equally as important and real.   Caring and committed community is rare in our culture where we are often transient and disconnected.  Even in our churches a culture of love and community is often lacking.  So many of us feel alone and isolated for much of the time.

As this year closes and a new year unfolds, I am holding adoption in my heart.  I want to be still and to welcome all those opportunities to both be adopted and to adopt in the year to come.  I want to have a receptive and welcoming heart to those around me that can enfold me as a daughter, sister and mother.  I want to see those for whom I can enfold and encourage and adopt in my heart in loving community and relationship.  I do trust that as we seek God and rest even in His most quiet and unassuming ways of the little things in life, that adoption will continue forever in my heart and family.  I want to increasingly rest in His arms and the arms of those that come my way, extending my arms to others too.  May we all enlarge our view of welcoming adoption.  We all need one another in love and care and commitment!  May this new year be blessed in adoption for us all!