Carl's Thoughts

It all started when our son Spencer was 12. He walked into the kitchen and asked his mom, "If you had $10,000 would you give it so that someone would become a Christian?" To his mom's "yes", he then asked, "So why wouldn't you adopt a little girl from China?" God spoke to Jill first probably because this decision would affect her the most on a day to day basis. By the time it came my way I was justifying how this was just not the right thing to do for our family. My points of justification were all centered around me. We weren't far from enjoying the benefits of the empty nest. Also this was going to cost $ that we didn't have. I was nearing 50 at that time and knew I needed to be thinking about retirement. It seemed like the more I looked for excuses to say no, God continued to speak to me in a more powerful way. Once I made the decision to go ahead with it, I knew it was the right thing for our family. But it still was a faith walk. Our busy life? My age? The $20,000 we needed? My wife kept telling me that $20,000 was the cost of a car! A little girl's life or a car? Easy enough. It was cool how He kept reaffirming this decision though logically it didn't make sense. Our Sunday School class went through some amazing Bible studies and books that continually kept His plan for us right in the front of my mind and heart: Chasing Daylight, The Dream Giver and The Hole In Our Gospel. He also put families in our lives who had little girls. I love to hear them giggle! We kept running into families who have adopted, and every story of every child blew my mind.

When Jill and I got married and started having kids, I wanted to have girls. I was terrified of having boys because I thought they would grow up and be like me as a teenager! A warped view of God gave me the idea that it would be "pay back" time if we had boys. But instead God demonstrated His grace through my two boys, Spencer and Conner. He got a hold of their hearts at a young age, and they have been such a pleasure to raise. Jill and I are two people who met in seminary and fell in love while studying theology. So I have to wrap some theology in here because this experience we are going through screams so much truth about God! As we go to China, I think God is about ready to reveal a powerful truth to us: When we adopt, He will show us the magnitude of His adoption of us. We can read about salvation. We can study the good news of the gospel. But when we put flesh to it, and we can see Collins for the first time, I think we will have a new understanding of what God has done in grafting us into His family, and of the immensity of His love. Throughout this process God has been unveiling Scripture to me that I've never seen before. You know how you will read something and its like a lightbulb comes on? I know that I know that I know that rescuing orphans is close His heart. We're not all called to adopt or be foster parents. But I believe God's people are called to relieve their suffering. I know He wants to use us to bring them out of their darkness. When I get to experience the joy of receiving Collins, I think I might get a glimpse of the joy God gets when someone responds to His love and grace through Christ. I can't wait!