My parents were 56 when they adopted an 18month old. Can you imagine that?! That exhausts me thinking about it, and I'm only 28. I say "only" 28 as I was humbled by my three year old today. She said to me, "Mommy, that looks like pasta." I said, "Oh, your hair looks like pasta?" She said, "No, when you do this," and she made a face. After she and I went back and forth trying to figure out what I was doing that looked like pasta, she lovingly informed me that the wrinkles in my forehead were what looked like pasta!
Anyway, my father was prepared to retire, and had to work an extra few years (I think like 6 more years of hard physical labor). My mother also was working part time as a nurse while caring for me and her aging mother (who also lived with them!). They were planning on retiring to Florida some day. They eventually had to sell their property. Apparently I/Calvin was expensive. I think after a winter like what we had (and still are having, for that matter - did anyone else get snow today?), I would have loved for them to retire down there so I could just camp out in the fun and sun!
When people ask me how I know God exists, I reply that it is easier for me than others. I can clearly see God's hand over my entire life. Psalm 139 is one of my favorite passages of scripture because it speaks so vividly of my life. You should read it. I'm not writing it, so my friends who are not necessarily Christians are forced to crack open the Bible. Split the Bible down the middle and you're bound to land on a psalm. Good luck!
God told my biological mother to leave the abusive relationship she was in. She was obedient and left. She followed His promptings. My mother who raised me had several dreams where God clearly told her that she needed to get in touch with my biological mother and see if they could help in any way. She didn't say anything at first until it went from one dream to multiple dreams. My father knew enough to listen to my mother because God seems to speak to her in dreams, and he had learned from their 30 or so years of marriage.
When they contacted my biological mother, they offered to take me one day a week to give her a break. When it came down to the difficult decision my biological mother made to give me a better life, my parents were there. They took me in and raised me as their own.
I am continually grateful to my parents for how much they love me. I love them with all my heart and can only hope to be 1/2 the parent they are to my children. Even if I'm only a fraction of what they are, my kids will be in good shape. I only wish all of you were around my parents as I was growing up. Everyone who spends any amount of time with them is eternally blessed. My aunts and uncles always say that they are salt of the earth, and they truly are - even if they're both technically not supposed to have any. :) My parents were always the cool parents - even at 60 and 70! All my friends wanted to be at my house because they would let us stay up late and eat whatever we wanted (I was a rather fat sophomore). My mom used to say that she just loved to hear us girls giggling and having a good time, which is why she never came into the room to tell us to go to sleep. Other parents were so grouchy and would yell at us at midnight. My dad doesn't hear so well, so I guess he didn't care too much either.
My parents are the reason I'm so into adoption. I was adopted. They sacrificed a lot for me. They showed me what it means in the Bible when it says that God adopts us into His family when we're saved. I'll write these verses so as not to overwhelm my friends who are still in the psalms: Galatians 4:4-6 "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" The whole concept of God's sovereignty and His love for us and His calling us to Himself has never been too difficult for me to understand because of what my parents did for me. I hadn't earned their love because I was so little. That's how we all start out in Christ. We're all babies, so to speak. We don't deserve His love and we don't earn it, but He freely gives it to us. They demonstrated that to me every day growing up. Now, I have a husband who carries on the tradition of doting on Erica. I don't deserve it (just ask him!), but he does it anyway. Aren't I blessed?? :)
I was able to see my biological mother often. She was and is still a big part of my life. I enjoy a wonderful relationship with her to this day. A relationship I wouldn't change for the world. Her life is a testament to God's mercy and grace. I think it was good that she didn't raise me my whole life, because I'm sure she'd admit, we're too much alike, and we know exactly how to get under each other's skin. We're good for about a 6 day span before we step on each other's toes. Solidarity for the strong-willed women!
To sum it up: I had parents who demonstrated God's love and adoption while I was weak and undeserving (especially in the teen years when I thought I knew it all - I guess some things never change), so adoption has always been in the back of my mind for that reason. My biological mother deserves a big thank you for choosing life. Besides the morality of it, she's the #1 reason for my belief in Pro-Life.
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