Adoption is so close to God’s heart.

Before our third child, Van was conceived, we struggled with secondary infertility for a several years—desperately wanting to add another baby to our family, and being told no at every turn. For a brief moment in time, adoption was the highest on our radar that it had ever been, even though Hannah and I have always wanted to adopt, it’s always been a future thing. But here it was, and we needed the funds. The costs were daunting and we tried to fundraise, but as we labored for months to raise even the smallest amount, five hundred dollars for the home study, we found out we were pregnant again, and this time the pregnancy didn’t end in miscarriage!

As we raise our babies now, we’ve given a lot of thought to the pain and sacrifice of biological children, and what it will look like to be adoptive parents in the future. It’s not all rose-colored, but adoption is so close to God’s heart, and it is worth it to us for so many reasons. Maybe these reasons will speak to you as well:

1. Adoption mirrors the Gospel. It is a clearer picture of God’s personal adoption of the Christian than any other earthy allegory. We are kids of grace through nothing other than God’s desire for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus, for His glory and our good.

2. Adoption is long-term commitment to personal fulfillment of the second commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. It gives us the personal opportunity to love our neighbor sacrificially and personally.

3. For the Christian, adoption is an outward sign of the inward working of the Holy Spirit, by aligning with God’s heart for widows and orphans in James 1:27.

4. The need is great and we have the chance to walk the Gospel with someone who needs help.

5. Kids are awesome. I believe that the primary regrets I’ll have when I’m older won’t be that I didn’t get to travel extravagantly or build empires, but that I didn’t spend more time with my kids. Statistics back me up on this– they show that younger families have a rough go of it, but happiness increases exponentially with the number of children you have in your old age.

I’ve written a liturgy for parents considering adoption, and I would encourage you to earnestly read it as you pray about adoption. I can’t wait for our turn.

Father God,
I call you father, because I too am adopted.
I have been welcomed into your family not on my own merits,
but by your choosing.
Let me learn to love as you have loved me–
unconditionally and freely, as your own child.

You have welcomed me to your table.

My adoption was not without price,
indeed I have been bought with the costly blood of Jesus.
Guide my heart to see the goodness of who you are
poured out for me while I knew nothing of You.

You have seated me with your Son.

You have not only adopted me,
but you have washed me, clothed me and fed me.
You have not only adopted me,
but you have given me every good gift.
Let me see now how I have been received by you

I am your child.