Okay, it is time for me to get "real." By vocation, God has me in the marketplace as a business consultant, trainer and executive coach helping bring a solid, biblical foundation to people and organizations so that they can discover the true purpose of their lives and businesses. At some point in the relationship, I always get some form of the question... "Yes, I understand that is what God says, but what about the bottom line?" Along the way, it seems that God has blessed many of these clients with an increased bottom line... AND with increased peace and time and balance and hope and faith and trust. For some the results have been truly miraculous and mind-boggling. So what does this have to do with adoption and our family?
I can only speak for myself - not my wife, or any other person (husband or wife, dad or mom) that might be considering adoption. Somewhere we have to take into consideration the "bottom-line." If your household is anything like my household, you don't have $20,000 or $30,000 or $40,000 just lying around taking up space, waiting to be invested in adoption costs. I didn't have the bottom-line I "needed" to afford these kids a new home and a new chance at life. I was working to provide for and meet the needs of the 4 already at home.
Adoption is not cheap. It comes with a high cost. And the bottom-line is that those costs continue to increase once the adoption fees are paid. Bottom-line is that getting them home is not even close to half the financial struggle. My wife has a favorite saying... "Life is expensive!" The reality of adoption... "Adoption is expensive!" ... and it is just a part of our life. Bottom-line is that there are 7 kids in our house that need a chance at life... (Not all that life has to offer since so much of what life has to offer is undesirable...) but a chance at life nonetheless. Of course, we are only in the early stages of our adopted kids joining our bio kids at home. It will only get more expensive. School assessments and curriculum (we home school), dental appointments, doctor appointments, gas, groceries, water bills, toilet paper, hair care products (I'm thinking random head shavings could become common practice!!), did I mention bananas by the bunches, the list goes on. And the bottom-line is that all of this has to be paid for with actual currency of some sort. I actually get upset every now and again at just how much it does cost to live in this world and raise a family.
But God... I so much love the many passages of Scripture that start out this way... You see, the bigger bottom-line is that God is able. God knows it is not cheap and God knows that it will only get more expensive. There are no secrets with God. God knows that most of us do not have the finances for adoption costs collecting dust in the corner of our dresser. Bottom-line is that I am not able to provide for 7 children... But God! Bottom-line is that (this is real to Kris and I) we had absolutely no way to come up with the upfront costs for adoption... But God! Bottom-line is that I have no idea how we will afford these kids moving forward... But God! Bottom-line is that God has never made a calling on anyone's life without first having made provision for that calling. Who does God borrow from? God owns the cattle on a thousand hills... God knows all of His children by name... God knows and has named the stars that He hung in Heaven. God will use any means He desires to make the provision for the adoption you are considering.
Bottom-line - I was correct and am still correct... I have no way to pay for or afford this adoption and I have no way to continue to meet the financial needs that are coming. But God! Bottom-line... neither do you, and if you let that stop you, you will fall into the same trap that so many have fallen into that will leave nothing done in the life of 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 children. God is in the business of growing His children, and generally that means that I need to learn to trust Him more. And that's the bottom-line!
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14 comments:
I enjoyed these thoughts. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this. All of it so true. May God continue to bless your family as you answer His call in obedience - the rest is His.
this post couldn't have been referred to me at a better time.
Thank you and Praise God.
:)
I followed a link from Owlhaven...nice post.
And Amen too.
Why do we worry about these things? Lol...He even tells us not to, He points out the lillies of the fields and the sparrows as examples of His providence.
Hi - I'm here via Mary and Owlhaven and I just wanted to thank you for this post. It brought tears to my eyes, actually, when you reminded me that God doesn't call someone to do something without making the provisions. So true. We just got wonderful news that we will be adopting a baby boy after a long 2 year wait and as I was looking at our savings account this morning and realizing the costs that will be coming up with travel and such, I was weighted down with worry. I know he'll provide, as He's always done and His timing is perfect.
http://sincerelyanna.wordpress.com
WOW! This is exactly what I needed to hear - every last line of it! Thank you so much for putting into words what I've been searching my heart for for months, maybe even years. People think we're nuts to move forward on our THREE adoptions with no money, but my husband speaks truth when he says "We cannot let a little thing like MONEY stand in the way of building our family - money is such a trivial matter for our God!" This is just beautiful and I hope you won't might if I link to it on my blog. Wow!
Oh how I wish God would send, "everyone and their mother," here to read your post.
How true that we will never have enough, but that OUR God is the God of more than enough. He 'has' a cattle on a thousand hills, and I can call out to him and ask him to sell a few for our need...He is faithful and a God of Provision!
thanks for sharing your thoughts...I pray that they honestly will reach the world!
Kimmie
mama to 6
one homemade and 5 adopted
#26 on an adoption waiting list to Guatemala..come meet us
thank you thank you. this was so very needed! amen.
What wisdom you have shared! Thank you for your words of encouragement!
Wow. Alll I can say is thank you for your encouraging words. Especially when you said that God doesn't call people without providing. I'm trusting God and leaning on him as we are raising funds for our adoption. It's just not always easy.
Thanks again, we also homeschool. This is our first year.
Abby
It is very clear that you and your family trust in the Lord. Awesome. Thanks for sharing this today.
I followed a link from Owlhaven and really enjoyed this post.
So many times we have had to lay everything down and put our whole trust in the Lord when it comes to finances. It is the contijual trusting that challenges us.
I just have to share that lately our experiences with God's financial provision had been what we like to refer to as our "manna from heaven." The Lord's provided just what we've needed day by day, week by week, no more and no less. It seems He wants us to be so very clear about Who is our Provider while stretching our faith and strengthening our reliance upon Him.
Thanks so much for putting into words so eloquently what I believe many adoptive parents wrestle with!!
Yes, He does work these things out to my amazement! We are in the process of adopting our first and God provided what seemed to be out of thin air. I'm starting to think about how we will afford to adopt the second...but I know God will work out the details as he did this time around! Thanks for this post. Very encouraging!
wow, thanks for this. we are at the beginning..and i so needed to be reminded of 'But GOD"..yes, our Lord is BIG!
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