Why China? Why a girl? Why adopt?

Questions...

I think that adoptive families often get questioned about their reasons to adopt. When I think about it, we have never had anyone question us about why we had any of our biological children, but our reasons are rooted in the same answer.

The answer is simple, God led the way. With all of our children, biological, fostered, adopted...it was never a decision that we made on our own. God ordered it all to perfection every time. It was His purpose and His plan.

Jacob...our man child. The one who arrived to make one of my biggest dreams come true, to be a mother. I was ready to be pregnant the day I got married. God put a passion inside of me to mother and He satisfied that longing with my son after just 14 months of marriage!

(Photography by divine photography)

Joel...our sweet gift. After many complications with my female parts, my doctor suggested if we wanted more children then we should try right away. I prayed that we would be able to have one more child. God chose to bless that prayer with Joel.

(Photography by divine photography)

Jack...our surprise! We really thought 2 boys would be all for us, and by some strange mystery...8 months after Joel was born, I was pregnant again. None of my pregnancies were smooth, and Jack was complicated early on. The moment I found out he was a boy, I was in the middle of a sonogram to make sure he was still alive. That nurse could have told me he had 3 heads, and I wouldn't have cared. He had a heartbeat! Thank you JESUS!

(Photography by divine photography)

Ari...our joy! God brought her to be my daughter for 18 short months. The timing made no sense to us, but God said it did. She was our attempt at a domestic adoption, but God had another plan. She paved the way to what was ahead...preparing us, yet taking a part of our heart with her.

(Photography by Alyssa Marie Photography and Design)

Libi...our heart! When God placed Libi before us we felt like our lives were over. Why would God ask us to do something so hard? We had just been through the painful loss of Ari, now He was asking us to take a severely handicapped child. We had no idea she would be the greatest blessing of so many lives.

(Photography by divine photography)

Haddie...our sunshine! She arrived in an email on my computer screen and scared the begeebiz out of me! She was 6 years old! Adopt an older child? We were considering older, but more like 4 or possibly 5, not 6! Once again, we were clueless the great happiness that would accompany this precious bundle of hope!

(Photography by divine photography)

Maggie...our gift of Grace! She grabbed us unexpectedly. Talk about questions! God, once again answered and has been gracious to allow us to have the gift of another child.

You see, none of my children came in the same way, or the same circumstances, but they were all clearly delivered by the hand of God, for purpose, to my heart, into my arms, to be my children. Who can question that?

Isaiah 45

⁹ “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
those who are nothing but potsherds
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?
¹⁰ Woe to the one who says to a father,
‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
‘What have you brought to birth?’

¹¹ “This is what the LORD says—
the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?
¹² It is I who made the earth
and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
I marshaled their starry hosts.
¹³ I will raise up Cyrus^[b] in my righteousness:
I will make all his ways straight.
He will rebuild my city
and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,
says the LORD Almighty.”