Being A Part Of Adoption

This past weekend I went out to our local Amish country to look at sheds. My new house doesn't have a garage (to my grandfather's horror) and I need something to put the lawn mower, bikes and lawn furniture in.

I asked around and found my way to a hidden back road. An Amish woman came out and showed me my choice of sheds.


I asked her how long it took to make one and she said a few hours.

"A Few Hours???" I gasped in awe... “How in the world do you make a large wooden shed in a few hours?!?”

She laughed at me and said, “I have 16 children."

Oh... I guess you could make a shed in a few hours with 16 children.

Then she looked over and saw E. She looked at me and said, "Your husband is black?" (Interesting question to ask a stranger wanting to buy something from you…)

(It was tempting to just say, "No I don't have a husband and let her thoughts go wild.)

I resisted the temptation and said, "No, I am not married, I am adopting her."

"Oh she said... from Haiti..."

"No, from Pennsylvania."

The awkward silence was broken by E. insisting a bee was attacking her. (A fly flew by her... she isn't the outdoorsy kinda girl...)

The experience was kind of funny to me. I actually expected a lot more looks from people when I adopted her. Mostly the looks I get are people just saying how beautiful she is and being really kind.

I know some people are really against announcing their child is adopted and just want to let people squirm and try to figure out how a white woman has a brown child. I have to say I am actually excited to share with others that she is adopted. I think more people need to know about adopting. I think more people need to adopt. Maybe if they look at a single woman adopting they will think, "I never thought I could do it, but if she can work a full time job, and be a single mother, surely I could adopt a child."

I think sometimes we think our plates are too full already, that we can’t handle anything else and don’t trust that if God calls us to something, He will give us the grace we need.

I love that so many of E's friends are adopted. It is amazing to me. I really believe the church should have many, many adopted kids. The Lord calls us to care for the orphans. Maybe you aren't called to adopt, but you could support someone adopting. I have amazing friends and family that are helping watch E. while I work in the summer. She will have a really fun summer playing with her friends thanks to people saying they would help. An orphan child has a home and friends and a family because people said I want to be a part of adopting. That is so amazing to me.