Profoundly deaf. Sickle cell anemia. Pulmonary stenosis. We read condition after condition and had to make determinations of whether we’d accept, consider, or not accept a child with those needs. This was by far the hardest form to fill out. Our adoption agency told us not to feel bad for saying no to certain conditions. But still, it felt awful every time we put a check in the box on the far right.
I thought about all my responsibilities. Three boys. A farm. Homeschool. Laundry. Now I understand that some of you may not think laundry is noteworthy enough to fit on my list of biggest responsibilities. But anyone who has raised boys out on a farm knows how dirty they get. Every. Single. Day. And I knew God wanted me to continue to be able to raise our boys and keep them clean. And even more so, I knew that we had to say no to some conditions because our other responsibilities would limit us from being able to provide the best environment for a child with major medical needs.
Out of all the forms we completed during adoption, this form probably took the most research and time. The list continued page after page. Speech disorders. Hydrocephalus. Aneurysms. Autism. Down Syndrome. Brandon stopped on this one. “I think we ought to adopt a child with down syndrome,” he stated matter-of-factly. As I pondered the thought, I said, “You do realize this would be a lifelong commitment, right? I mean, usually more lifelong than typical kids.” He didn’t waver as he said he felt drawn to down syndrome and that it could be a good fit for our family. I said that I didn’t feel drawn to it per se, but I knew this journey was God’s call. If he had a child with down syndrome planned for us, then that’s what I wanted. So, we checked the willing to consider box and left it up to Him.
My next post will share some background for understanding God’s plan for bringing our child home.
stillsmallfaith.com 