As I graduated with a Master’s degree in Social Work, adoption was not on my radar. However, God had other plans. Doors opened for me to start the Illinois adoption program. The process was a slow and tedious one. In the midst of all the policies and paperwork, my heart for vulnerable children and families grew.
Jeremiah 22:3 (KJV) says, "Thus says the Lord: Do Justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow…"
We live in a broken world. I wish there was no need for adoption, but sometimes (not all the time) it is the best option. I have met some of the bravest women I know who realize they cannot parent - or at least cannot be the parents they want to be. So, out of selflessness they place their children into the loving arms of a family that can give their children what they deserve.
Adoption is not rosy. It is painful, but in the brokenness, I have seen God do amazing work. I have seen adoptive parents embracing, ministering to, and praying for the birth families. I have seen children given more opportunities, services, and support than they could have imagined.
Adoption is such a mix of beauty and brokenness, but so is each one of us. I feel very blessed to live and work in this field where God’s redemption is evident.
