Home for the Holidays

Hubby is gone, the kids are in bed early tonight and I sit in my living room as my three children are sleeping in the only bed, in the only home, with the only parents they have ever known. When I sat down to fold laundry, I scrolled through the guide channel to find something to make my monotonous task a little more fun. I happened upon a title that caught my attention, "The 11th Annual Home for the Holidays." As I read the words describing the program "Now in its 11th year, the special will feature Faith Hill and include performances by Shakira, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood. Nia Vardolos and Jenna Elfman are among the celebrities who will present inspirational stories of extraordinary families formed through foster care adoption," my heart was compelled to watch.

Three minutes into the show tears were streaming down my face. Adoption is something that has become close to our hearts, as we stood along side our best friends Ben and Rebekah, as they adopted their sweet baby boy, Ty. The show was depicting just as the description says, inspirational stories of families brought together through foster care adoption. People who opened their home to children young and old, to raise them as their own. Children who do/did not have the same privilege as ours...sleeping in the same bed every night, attending the same school for a whole year, having parents to call their own.

My eyes and heart were glued to the TV watching lives that have been changed. Being a teacher, I have had foster children in and out of my classroom throughout the years. Even before having children of my own, my hearts desire, as their little faces crossed my path was to scoop them up and bring them home. This is all it was, a thought that was never acted upon. Watching our friends go through the adoption process, although it was not through foster care, has had an incredible impact on me. My heart was stirred again tonight. I believe that a day will come when this will not be a thought that is not acted upon, but a reality for our family. Chris and I had a conversation with Ben and Rebekah last month about this very thing. Although it is not something that I believe we will do today, tomorrow, or even a year from now, I believe in my heart it is for our family. It is something I will continue to seek the Lord about.

The presentation tonight was put on by the Dave Thomas (the founder of Wendy's) Foundation. He himself was adopted as a young boy. During the presentation a phone number and website was flashed across the bottom of the screen... davethomasfoundation.org. During a commercial, I went to the site and began reading facts and statistics of foster care adoption. The following statement pierced my heart...

"Nearly 40 percent of American adults, or 81.5 million people, have considered adopting a child, according to the National Adoption Attitudes Survey. If just one in 500 of these adults adopted, every waiting child in foster care would have a permanent family."

Am I one of the 40 percent? Are you?

I don't pretend to think it is an easy path, but I am ready to sacrifice. I am sure Chris will read this and think I have gone off the deep end (he did approve this before I posted), but together we will decide and seek the Lord on what He has for our family. Again, I am not saying it is something we are going to run out and do tomorrow. I am saying that it was a seed, that years ago, was planted in my heart as a faint idea, and through the years has grown into one that will one day, I believe, become a reality for our family.

My children are blessed to have a home for the holidays...there are thousands that don't. Adoption may not be for you, but can I challenge you in something? Go to the website, make yourself aware, and if nothing else pray for the children that are waiting for homes.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a JOY filled new year.