What our Ethiopian Adoption IS and ISN'T

I have been thinking about this post for a while and feel that it is time to put these thoughts down.

Over the past 8 years we have had many conversations with others about adoption and orphan care. So this post is simply to publicly say what we feel ADOPTION IS AND ISN'T.

So let's begin with the positive:

IS or DOES:

• A God given passion and a biblical command. (James 1:27)
• Makes us aware of God's love for us. (John 14:18)
• A lengthy process that has taught our family many things about ourselves.
• Brings our prejudices to the surface so they can be confessed. (Colossians 3:11)
• Allows us to be a part of something that is greater than ourselves.
• Teaches us that we are not the center of our own universes.
• Confronts us in that we are not in control. (Isaiah 55:8)
• Allows our children to grow up by experiencing God's creativity in each of us.

Now for what Adoption ISN'T or DOES NOT DO:

• Adoption does not make us special or better than anyone.
• Does not make our adopted children more blessed than others' biological children.
• Isn't an opportunity to be the "Great White Saviors" for children all over the world. Jesus is the Savior.
• Does not make us more caring and loving than other parents, in fact, we could not have adopted without the help of others.
• Adopting from a foreign country is not saying those children are more deserving than children in the US and vise versa.