Wee One Wednesday: It's No Joke

I am not a funny person. 

But often, when I talk about our adoption, about adding a fourth child to our family, I will inevitably crack, "We are already living in a circus. What's one more? Let's just add to our crazy and chaotic and exhausting life!"

But the truth is, our adoption is not a joke to me. It's the furthest thing from it. It is me, it is us, trying to follow God's will. 

Can I preach for a minute? Be totally honest for a minute? 

If it weren't for my strong faith, for our strong faith, I don't know that we would be adopting. 

This is totally a God thing, y'all. 

One of my most favorite Bible verses is 

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27. 

Here's the thing: my hub and I have been given SO much, all to the glory of God. We have a roof over our heads, with space for our little family and more; we have a pantry stocked with food; we have heat and AC and healthy water at our disposal; we live in a wonderful, supportive, loving, safe neighborhood; we have access to good schools and good healthcare; we are citizens of a free country; we are active members of a fantastic church; we have more love in our hearts for our children than we know what to do with; and we have the time and resources to provide fun and recreation and discipline and socialization and life-giving moments for our babies. For whatever reason, God has chosen to bless us with these things. 

And y'all? I've said it before and I'll say it again: we have ONE life. What are we choosing to do with this one wild and precious life?

All jokes aside, we are choosing to adopt because we want to. Because our daughter is waiting for us. Because there will be one less orphan in the world. Because we are hers and she is ours. Because God calls us to do so. Because we have more than we deserve. Because we love her already.

So, circus? Yes. Yes, we will be. But we will be the happiest, craziest, loudest, wildest, most faith-filled circus you ever did see. Our monkeys will grow up together--they'll have each other long after we're gone, and each other is the greatest gift we can give each of them. 

And that's no joke.