Where does the desire to adopt child come from?  Is it because one wants to start a family or grow one? Is it because one can’t have children and this is the only way that it could happen? Or is it one feels that they can make a difference in a child’s world that is in need?

I was faced with having to answer this question. At the the age of 18 I thought that I had all the time in the world and that there was no rush. Little did I know that the path to a family was not going to come to me in the convention way. There would be nothing conventional about my path that I would be forced to take. At the age of 18 I was shot and my ability to walk was taken away from me, forever. At this crossroad in my life I struggled with the idea that I would never walk again. Anger, regret, and the nagging question in my head of why I survived to live in a wheelchair, beat at my mind like a boxer hitting a punching bag. Guilt found a way of working itself into my mind clouding my head with the thoughts that this was happening to me because of my past. I had reached a point in my life that I could not handle the situation I was in and I had to let it go. The darkness had won. I lost the will to fight.

Matthew 11:28-29

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

 

The Lord revealed himself to me in my darkest moment and showed me that he had path for me to follow. The first thing that he did was to open my eyes to the person who had stood by my side through all of the darkness and hard times. My best friend my angel, Norah. Then he took away all of the anger, regret, and guilt and placed love, peace, and forgiveness in its place. The night that I was shoot, I not only lost the ability to walk, I lost the ability to have children. I was saddened by this because this was truly something that I knew I would want someday.  But this was not the way the Lord wanted me to experience it. The path he had for me was adoption.

I was filled with the desire to open up my family and home to whatever the Lord sent my way. His plan for me was to share my life with 3 kiddos that were in search of a family. I now know that having kids doesn’t make a father, raising them does. There’s nothing in this world that comes close to the joy of me becoming a father and the happiness that has was given me. I can make a case that the worst night of my life was the beginning of the best thing that ever happened to me. My eyes were opened to the beauty that surrounded me and I was given a family and the responsibility of a father.  It’s easy to think that my kids got the better of the deal but in reality I hit the jackpot.

I encourage anyone that is considering adoption to first make sure that the desire you feel is coming from the right place. This isn’t an easy path but it can be very rewarding and fulfilling one.

All I can say is that I am a better man because of my kiddos! My mission in life is to show the world what the lord has done in my life and how he has blessed me.

God alway makes a way, all we need to do is hold his hand and let him lead us.

Remember to Keep Rolling On

Don’t forget to join us for Orphan Sunday November, 8th or find a way to help a fatherless child.