The big question!

Ok, this is post is either going to make you laugh, shake your head or fall on your knees and pray like you never have before!
Kennedy told us she wants a baby sister. That's right, the baby of our family who in no uncertain terms said "no more babies, I am the baby" asked for a baby sister. Let me tell you how serious she is, she is willing to share "Belle, her build a bear dog" AND if baby sister doesn't like Belle she will find her some more toys. Hmmmm.
I just kind of looked at her thinking to myself "oh,oh." I told her she needed to tell her dad when he got home. Sure enough, he walked in 8 hours later and by golly she ran up and said "Daddy I want a baby sister!" I just sat back and watched smiling to myself. After a moment of what I like to call "frozen in time" Mike in all his brilliancy decides to use reverse psychology. "If we got another baby girl you wouldn't be the baby anymore." I thought to myself "good one babe, don't pull any punches!" But in all her tiny, innocent, infinite wisdom she looks at her daddy with those beautiful eyes and says " yea, I know that!" Ouch. That one flew under the radar. Mike went back to his "frozen in time zone." Poor guy.
Not that Mike and I will or have closed the door on adopting again, we just haven't looked through that door if you will. As always we can come up with like a thousand reasons not to adopt again. And here is our top 10:
1. MONEY
2. Old
3 Our life is in a nice routine
4. All our kids are in school or on their own
5. I hate doing homework
6. I can take long showers
7. The paperwork
8. Having to prove your worthy to parent even though you have parented 6 kids
9. The looks of disgust or disbelief from people who think your nuts
10. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Seems like some very good reasons huh? No. We are put on this earth to serve, to give, to help, to comfort, but the number 1 thing is to show Gods love. Every Christian is given spiritual gifts and we are to use them. Mike and I as a couple were called to be parents. We have been blessed through birth and adoption. I can honestly say we are not planning on adopting again, but the door will never shut. If God has a child that needs us then we will bring them home.
I have a lot of blogger friends who have 10 or more children, biological and adopted and I think that is so amazing! They listen to God, step out in faith and are blessed. On one of these blogs I found the perfect answer to the question of "Why Adopt Again." I have copied it to this post. I hope if this is a question you have after you read it you will have a better understanding.


Why Adopt Again?
I've considered often how to answer that question? "Why are you adopting again!?
"It's my mission field" just doesn't really capture my complete heart.
"Because a little one is in need of a family and love..." leads to the inevitable response that we have to stop at some point. (My response...NOT YET!)
"We believe children are a blessing." True, however - lacking, but lacking what?
I was reading a book by A.B Simpson (an American Evangelist at the close of the 19th century) called Christ in the Tabernacle (great book by the way!). In speaking of the candelabra that was made for the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:31-40) he says "This light revealed the other objects in the Holy Place. It revealed to the priests the table covered with the show bread. The best thing about the light was that it revealed not itself but the bread."
Later Simpson writes "The candlestick did not have inherent light. It was only the bearer of the light; it only held the light, but the oil gave the light. And so you and I are not the light. Jesus Christ is our light, and we simply receive and give out Him."
Matthew 5:16 says "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to you Father who is in heaven."
So, my mind wonders back to "Why again are we adopting?"
It isn't easy. There has been pain and loss. Adopting is always a step of faith for both finances and the energy to mother my family well. There are broken things that need fixed, and days where I run out. There is a lot of work to do...but isn't that the point? "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." I have GOOD work to do. It's not about seeing my good works to see ME though. I want others to see Jesus - the Bread of Life and glorify the LORD.
And, I guess the way I see it, Jesus had an orphan ministry of the largest kind. "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Gal. 4:4-5 (also Rom. 8:16-17). Jesus removed the "situation" that made me an orphan and brought me to my Heavenly Father and his own family.
"...remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Eph. 2:12-13
These children are certainly without hope. They belong to no one... they are alone.
As we bring home one more child, we are bringing them near to the LORD and teaching them His love for them. No more are they without hope, they belonging to Him.

So why are we adopting again? I have good work to do; work that God has prepared for me to do; a perfect ministry for me.
And my prayer is that others will give glory to my Father who is in heaven.
Why again? The LORD loves me, the LORD loves you, the LORD loves them; and He has quite an adventure for us all. So let's go do some good work and rejoice.