Monday, November 1, 2010

Children shouldn't have to hope for a family

It was around 16 months ago. My then 2 year old woke up in the middle of the night, which was pretty unusual for him. He didn't seem sick, so my guess was it was due to cutting his 2 year old molars.

He was crying, sobbing, but between the sobs I could make out him saying, "I want Mommy! I want Mommy!"

I carried him downstairs so he wouldn't wake up his older sister and brother. I held him, rocked him, and whispered over and over again, "Mommy's here. Mommy's here."

But, because children in need of families had been on our hearts so much lately, and we were praying about if adoption was something our family should pursue, as I held my toddler and he quieted, falling back to sleep in my arms, all I could think about were kids that wake up crying for a Mommy that never comes. I was grateful to be there to comfort my 2 year old, but my heart broke for kids just like him who wake up scared or hurt in the night without a Mommy to come to them.

Children need families. They need people they can count on to love them and be there for them for the rest of their lives.

I've heard the viewpoint that money spent on international adoptions would be better spent providing for the care of orphans in their home country and culture. Like, you could use that money to feed and medically care for several orphans, instead of just one. But, that argument ignores the fact that they'd still be orphans, and there is no price that you can put on a family. The best orphanage workers in the world cannot replace a family in a the life of a child.

November is National Adoption Month and this Sunday is Orphan Sunday.

There are over 145 million orphans in the world.

Are you the hope for 1? Is your church the hope for 50?


Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.




This post is part of the Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge.

5 comments:

  1. Oh wow, what a thought...my heart breaks too as I think about a poor child waking up searching for a mother who is not coming!! :( You're right that orphans need more than just basic sustenance---they need the love of parents or guardians! I know that one thing that holds us back from considering an adoption (that we'd otherwise be open to) is the thought that it costs a LOT of money. Is this true?

    Thank you for this post today. Hope you have a wonderful day!

    Sarah

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  2. Sarah, I may answer your question more in depth in a future post, but I can absolutely say that adoption from the US foster care system is very cheap and often free!

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  3. I´ve been thinking a lot about adoption since I read your shots post and I´ve asked my self that very same question you are asking now. My heart is not ready for an answer yet. I´m grateful for your commitment and for your question. And I pray for the right answer to come to me. Love, Fernanda

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  4. A child that needs a family is a child that needs a family. It doesn't matter what country that child is in. I love that your family has a heart for international adoption. Many children orphaned in developing countries have a very bleak future. International adoption is a way to give them a future with a loving family.
    We hope to adopt domestically. I love this message in your post. Not everyone is called to adopt an orphan, but as Christians I believe we are all called to help them.

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  5. My husband is adopted, so we have a very good view of it. We briefly considered adopting before we conceived twins. I think our house is as full as it was ever meant to be. Our hands certainly are. Still we pray and do what we can to encourage others to consider this wonderful choice. God bless you as you move forward in your process.

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I'd love to hear what you think!