Who Can Adopt??

Sorry for this long post...as so many of my posts seem to be. I didn't intend to ramble or hop up on my soapbox...but...

Before March, 2009, I knew nothing about adoption or that it would be any part of my life. On February 28, 2009, I read a post from a friend that was posted on Feb 22, 2009. It was her announcement that their family was beginning the process of adopting a little boy from Ethiopia. We were acquaintances--our kids go to the same school. I don't recall ever considering adoption before that very moment. I am still really amazed by how the seed was planted and how quickly it grew in my heart. I sat looking at this post and asked "who can adopt?" It was a question that was completely wrapped in all the excuses and reasons why we and most other people don't adopt. I believed financial to be the biggest, occasionally superficial, reason why most people say they can't see adopting. But I was reading about this family employed by a Christian school, single income, 3 kids--they were adopting! That was my answer. Having never even really considered adoption, so never really making an excuse not to adopt, suddenly it was before me...shouldn't we be adopting and what reason do I really have not to adopt? If this family (completely awesome...you know who you are and I thank God for you) could adopt, why couldn't/shouldn't we?

So if money doesn't stop you from adopting...what does? If you have the money to adopt or had the faith to believe that it would be provided, what stops people from adopting? There are many legitimate reasons not to adopt. Just as God gives you children to birth, He must give you the heart to adopt. If he doesn't, you shouldn't. I don't stand in judgment of others. I just know for us, I am so happy that we have Mahaela. (It is sort of like having an argument over how many children to have...if you would have another child, then you would know that you were meant to have another child. Consider the last child you have...should you have stopped before you had them? I can't imagine not having Lindsey. Now I can't imagine not having Mahaela.) I also know that so many others would experience the same joy and blessing that we have experienced if they would step out...just start down the road and see what doors open and what doors close. Trust God that He has a little soul that you will completely wrap your heart around...God can grow your heart big enough!

Now, if everyone could read this and not just the 15 followers that I have--half of which have already adopted. LOL!

Ok...all that to say...It was two years ago this month that I felt led to check out what adoption was all about and how to go about doing it. I did crazy research on the internet...looking on-line for hours investigating everything about it. It was 2 years ago that I had lunch with Bill at Buffalo Wild Wings while Lindsey was in preschool, and he said he wanted to talk to me about something...gulp. He said, "I think we should adopt." I immediately couldn't believe he was convinced of it, and immediately felt all the inadequacies of my mothering pour down on me. The tears came. I had submitted enough children to my mothering...did I need to be bringing another one into my craziness? He didn't want to hear anything about it..."you're a good mom."
I know the truth, but from that moment, I sucked it up and put my nose to the grindstone. I might add that my life wasn't settled and in order and the time felt right. It was far from it. This call to adopt came really right in the middle of what seemed like some messy stuff. I think I really appreciated the distraction from some of the negatives going on in my life.
I was on a mission. With God's help, I was going to find the child that belonged in our family. Even one year ago, we still had no idea that it was a little girl they called "Misha."

A few things about Mahaela:

She does not care for blankets and will often remind us, "No blankie."

She has a very active saliva gland. You know how occasionally you will spray saliva out from under your tongue or you will see someone do it? Like your saliva gland gets pinched? Well, Mahaela does it about 3 times a week. Strange and unique.