One of the questions we’ve been asked is “Why did you choose
Uganda?” The answer to that is actually two-fold.
The first part of the answer is that Thomas and I don’t feel
that we chose one way or the other, but that God did. We believe He is leading us to a specific child
in Uganda, just as He led us to our son during our first adoption journey, who was
born in the States. We were not in the
process of adoption and waiting for a child in either of these times, but we
firmly believe that God has directed our steps (Proverbs 16:9) both times to
the path (and child) He has chosen for us.
Believe me, if I had chosen, it would likely have been a much
more comfortable path. Adopting in Uganda takes me WAY
out of my comfort zone! And for
various reasons, such as: traveling to a
third world country and not staying
in a nice, cozy resort with good food and soft beds; traveling 7745 miles away from home for
several weeks with a three-year old in tow; being possibly the first Caucasian person
a child has ever seen; fear of adopting a young child (rather than a newborn as
our son was) who may have difficulty seeing us (who are not his biological
parents nor do we even look similar) as “Mom” and “Dad”; and the list could go
on.
The one thing I know for sure is
that my heavenly Father is not nearly as concerned with me being comfortable as
He is my sanctification and spiritual growth and becoming more like Christ. Following God’s path can be frightening or
uncomfortable sometimes for us on this side of Heaven as He stretches us and
grows us (after all believers aren’t called to the easy life), and our comfort must
ultimately be found in knowing that we are in God’s hands and He is in control.
(Luke 9:23)
As I sit here and think about the reasons that this forces
me out of my comfort zone, I am reminded of just how comfortable we are in
America. The people in Uganda who live
in poor conditions may never have known anything else, may never have known
comfortable surroundings; and yet, oftentimes we Americans don’t like to suffer
at the sake of our comfort for even five minutes. Let me count the ways I have taken things for
granted in my life and where I live, for I am definitely a creature of comfort!
It is clear in the New Testament that the apostle Paul
certainly wasn’t comfortable when he traveled to distant and foreign lands to
preach the gospel to an often hostile
group of people. He wasn’t comfortable
when he was being persecuted, imprisoned, and beaten almost to death for doing the
work God had called him to do. Many
others in the early Christian church were also persecuted and often killed for
their faith, just as many are in other countries today, and here a part of me resisted
being taken out of my comfort zone!
In the last few weeks we have found ourselves under
spiritual attack after making the decision to do this, and even more so after
publicly announcing our intentions to follow God’s call for us. Our emotions have run high, we have doubted if
this is in fact God’s will for us, and we have been praying for clarity and
wisdom. And God has provided once again!
Just in the last few days, He has sent people to encourage us, to speak wisdom
to us, to remind us why we’re doing this, to remind us how He led us to this
orphanage in Uganda. Through each
person, He has confirmed that yes, this is the path He has chosen for us, and
all we need to do is be faithful to what He has called us to do and He will
make our paths straight.
Being called to adopt transracially and internationally may
come with more complications, more difficulties, more spiritual attacks, than
our previous journey, but it is nothing compared to Jesus suffering and dying
on the cross for the sake of our adoption!!!
I may shed a few tears along the way, but Jesus shed his blood for me.
In Adopted for Life, Russell Moore writes, “The primeval
insurrection in the garden turned the universe into an orphanage – the heirs
were done, done in by their appetites…” (Imagine
our plight, which was MUCH worse than the poverty in Uganda, and yet…) “When we
were still orphans, Christ became a substitute sinner for us.”
David Platt says, “It is important to realize we adopt not
because we are rescuers. No. We adopt because we are rescued.” Fortunately for us, when He adopted His
children, He found them in all parts of the world; so too shall we if that
is His will.
And with redemption and reconciliation comes tears of joy!
Stay tuned for the second part of our answer…
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