"Why?"

When I tell people we are adopting that is the first question we get asked, "Why?"

How do you explain to someone the orphan crisis that is going on in Eastern Europe?  I have to think carefully before I answer because if I don't choose my words carefully I can easily overwhelm and scare them away.  How do you sum up in just a few sentences that a child is taken straight from the hospital to the orphanage just for being born with down syndrome or they are missing some fingers?

How do you explain that once in the "baby house" they have just a couple of years sometimes to be adopted before they are sent to a mental institution?  A mental institution! Are you hearing me? And not one like here in the US. A warehouse of sorts. Adults in cribs, or crammed into rooms, wearing rags for clothes, and barely being fed.

Now, I understand that it's not the same everywhere. But does that matter? It shouldn't happen anywhere.

There was a short period of time I admit, I wish I had never heard about it.  Because once I heard what they let happen to these children, these babies, my soul would.not.rest.  God had planted a seed in my heart last Fall and He knew what that would grow into.  And now I'm "one of those crazy people adopting". Because why would you turn your life upside down, spend every penny you own, leave your baby for over a month to adopt a special needs child?  Because He asked us to. We are called to take care of our widows and orphans.

As I sat looking at Reece's. Rainbow one night, at face after face of little ones that have never experienced the love of a mom or dad. That have never been tucked into bed, kissed on the forehead, told "I love you", prayed over, and woke up in warm loving home. I was crying. You know, the "ugly cry". Unfortunately my husband has seen this cry a lot recently. But as I was crying and looking at their faces, I asked my husband "Why can't WE adopt?" This was not the first time I had asked, more like the 30th. He paused for a moment and said "I don't know."

Of course I could think of lots of reasons- We both work full time. We just had a baby. We want more children of our own. We don't have the money. Now is just not a good time.
And none of those reasons hold up. I'll hopefully be able to work three days a week. Our baby will be at least one year old by the time we bring our adopted child home. We can have more biological kids. We'll need to fund raise and have Faith God will help with the rest. Right time? Is there ever the right time?

So when people ask why, I can honestly say "Why not?"