“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

John and I met in Sunday school in Colorado 16 years ago and have been married for 15 years. God blessed us with three children that we love dearly, Jack, Lily and Hannah. As an on-the-move Air Force family, life could get pretty chaotic at times with three small kids, and so after Hannah was born, we both agreed that three was the limit for us! We both believed our time as parents of babies had closed, and looked forward with eager anticipation to this new season of life….a time we could enjoy having a bit more freedom with our three kids, and experience activities and fun that catered to an easier lifestyle….no baby proofing, no more car seat struggles, no more diaper bags to lug around....And as Hannah left for kindergarten this year, I suddenly had much more free time to pursue my own hobbies or interests! But God had other plans.

About two years ago, our good friends began the process of adopting a beautiful little girl from China. Being half-Chinese, I was immediately excited for them and swept into their adoption journey. As we followed their journey, however, I was surprised at how much the story of adoption resonated within my own heart. John and I have always been so grateful that God had sent a rescue for us through Jesus and adopted us as His children, and we began to see how adoption had always been on the heart of God, who says He is a Father to the Fatherless. We had never before considered adoption, as I always thought of it as something for people who wanted to expand their families, and we definitely were not looking to expand ours! But when I considered all the orphans (50 million!) in the world, longing for a mother to love them and a father to hold them, it broke my heart. I struggled with the idea of giving up our easy lifestyle, and John struggled with how we would manage it financially, but we both began praying that if this was God’s plan for our family, that he would lead our hearts and confirm His plan to us.

God surrounded us at this time with families who were either in the midst of adoption, had hearts for adoption, or had adopted themselves. Three of Hannah’s classmates had been adopted, and even one of her teachers was adopted. We could not get over the fact that at every turn, God was bringing adoption back to us. Even though it didn’t make sense to us practically, we could feel Him gently leading us to trust Him.

At Christmastime, 2005, John surprised me with the announcement that he was ready to adopt. He had prayed and prayed, and decided that we needed to go forward with what we felt God was calling us to, trusting that He would equip us for the journey and provide for us along the way. I had felt sure myself for a while earlier, but had waited for God to confirm to John that this was indeed His path for our family. I wanted John to want to adopt, not just follow my wanting to adopt. We excitedly shared the news with our kids, who had all been wanting to adopt a little sister since first hearing of our friends’ adopting their daughter, and then our family and friends, who heartily encouraged us.