Rumbling around in my heart for weeks and it’s time to share some thoughts. Grab a cup of coffee (if yours works I am trying so hard not to be jealous)….and read on. The Memorial Box Monday post on Tuesday produced an onslaught of emails…..and I wrote a post a few weeks ago entitled, “Should a Single Woman Adopt?” and that post also stirred quite a response. Foremost on people’s mind, whether single or married is: How can I/we afford to adopt when we have no money? So let’s pick that one apart and see what God’s heart is.
Over the years I have had many, many people say to me, “I would love to adopt, but we can’t afford it.” I really have had to refrain myself, because without a response already being well thought out, anything that would pop into my head would have certainly appeared rude. So here and now, I just must set the record straight: We have never once had extra money sitting in the bank when we started any of our adoptions. Period.
So how exactly did we and do we afford these precious treasures??
First and foremost, we have to understand that God’s heart is for the orphan. His ear is bent toward their cry. His word says that pure religion is to care (action verb) for them. So why would He not provide for anyone wanting to bring home an orphan for the rest of his/her life? What parent says, “Daughter I want you to make dinner for our family and some guests but sorry, the cupboards are empty and so is the fridge and freezer.” God, our Father, has cupboards full and He wants to provide for those who are willing to say, “I will obey you and care for the orphan.”
So how is it that some afford to adopt and others can’t (or think they can’t)???? That’s really a loaded question, so please hear my heart…….I believe there are Biblical principles that we have to also consider. I believe that our lives here on planet Earth are for one purpose and only one purpose – to give our lives away sacrificially to others by honoring and glorifying Almighty God. Infact one of my most favorite books is “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. It starts with this: “It’s not about you.”
I think there are a few secret words that draw the line between those who can “afford to” and those who “can’t afford to”…..and they would be: “give up stuff” and “step out in faith”. Some would call it “sacrifice” but I don’t. Sacrifice to me is what the martyrs in other countries are doing. For instance: Moving from a large home to a smaller one to get rid of mortgage debt is not a sacrifice. It’s most likely doing what we should have been doing all along.
Can I be real honest here?? Somewhere though along the way we have lost sight of what is required of us by God as a people. We have bought a lie (from the pit of hell) that it really is all about us. That we work hard and deserve such-n-such. Have I ever told you that I hate the word “deserve”? At the risk of offending everyone of my bloggy friends, forgive me, but: I/We: deserve a vacation, deserve our nails to be done, deserve dinner out, deserve a car with all the bells and whistles, deserve a bigger house, deserve a new set of golf clubs, heck, we deserve the golf membership, deserve an iphone (ouch), deserve our hair cut, deserve to have someone else color it, deserve that addition on our home, deserve a pedicure, deserve a life without interruptions, deserve quiet in the evening, deserve a full night’s sleep, deserve a break, deserve a latte’, we deserve, we deserve, we deserve.
In fact as I am typing this I just did a search on what exactly “de” means, cause I know what “serve” means….and “de” means “the opposite”….so basically my take on that is that when we think we “deserve” something we are not serving, but doing the opposite, “serving ourselves”. And sweet friends, there is nothing wrong with all those things, but when they are our focus, and we are not giving our lives away for others, then we are not pleasing Him, but merely pleasing ourselves, and that would be called “sin”. Whooooa, Linny, how can you call it SIN? “To him that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) Interpreted: if we know what we’re supposed to be doing, and yet we don’t….then yup, it’s sin.
I believe 100% that He planned us to SERVE others all the time. Every day. To give our lives away. To live without. To share what we do have with others – people we know and people we don’t. To live uncomfortably. To live AND give generously. To give our own things away, not just things we don’t need anymore but things we love. To think about others above ourselves. Scripture says that in the end times “Men (and women) will be lovers of themselves.” Wow, if that doesn’t describe 2009??!?!!! In fact we even have tee-shirts in America that say, “It’s all About Me!” Yes, it is!! But it’s not supposed to be.
So how can we practically get back to where God wants us? How can we give our lives away? How can we afford to adopt? How can we afford to adopt in this economy?
For starters: Getting down on knees and repenting of misuse of time, money or talent. Asking God to give you the strength to change your standards, your desires, your “I deserve it” attitude. Then get up and look yourself in the mirror and say: From this day forward it’s no longer all about me but about giving my life away for Him.
Well what about the economy? Frankly friends, the economy means nothing to God. His word does not say, “If you have a deep bank account, adopt a child.” It doesn’t even say, “If you have a deep bank account, give some of it away generously.” Nor does it say, “If the economic predictions are great, adopt a child.” It just says we are to care for the orphan – period!
I have often prayed, “Your word says you ‘own the cattle on a thousand hills’ (Psalm 50:10), please sell a cow for us.” In the meantime, while we waited for His cow to sell, to show Him we mean business, we have done some of these practical things: moved to a smaller home to do away with a mortgage, sold beloved things, cut out things like cable, stopped going out to eat very often, decided to forego an addition and chose instead to remodel the existing space, bought used instead of new, etc. And God has miraculously provided for each and every adoption, time and time again. We’ve even giving to others adopting in the midst of adopting ourselves. Now that might sound really crazy, but it’s really a Biblical principle. See, scripture says, “to give to those in need”…..and at that very moment, we didn’t “need” the money…..we would need in the future, but we don’t need now. And each and every time God has provided – supernaturally!! What an adventure to live like this…..we wouldn’t trade it for anything. Infact we plan to one day have a wall of pictures of the kids that we have helped bring home. Our “wall of fame” if you will. Precious little ones that we have had the privilege of having a tiny part of bringing home…..
When we were bringing Elijah and Elizabeth no one knew. We were keeping it secret. A man walked up to Dw and said, “I need to talk to you.” He stepped outside with him and the man said, “My wife and I feel we are supposed to give you this, we are not sure why.” Dw opened an envelope and there was a check for $15,000. Yes, you read that right. $15,000. We had never had such a thing happen. BUT God knew our need, He knows we are good stewards and so He generously poured through us.
Which brings me to that sticky subject of tithing. Even as I type “sticky” I laugh……Because it’s sticky only if you don’t believe in it or don’t want to believe in it. Anyway, I wrote a post about stewardship and tithing in the middle of the night just a few days before our fire. I remember sitting up in the loft, unable to sleep, I just had to share my heart on tithing and stewardship. You can read it here.
Having adopted (almost!) seven children and never having a slush fund for adoption, I am 100% convinced that He will provide for you too. Over the years we have, at times, had very small incomes in very small pastorates. We have also planted a church where we had no income. So over the years we really haven’t been banking away large amounts of money, ever!
Which makes me also wonder something crazy. Could it be that when we are giving our lives away that also means our resources? Could it even mean generously helping others financially? Couldn’t it mean helping those who are caring for the orphans in orphanages overseas (like Abby Tracy in Uganda, Bill & Lynsay in Ch*na, Bernie & Bennett in India, Kisses from Katie in Uganda, to name a few)…..or helping those who are currently adopting. I often wonder: If I were an orphan what would I want (besides a mom & dad)….would I want people to give up “stuff” to provide for me…or is it okay for them to sit with their ‘stuff’ while I have nothing, not even food many days. When I try to walk a mile in someone else’s moccasins, I am compelled to act. I am compelled to give. I am compelled not to conform to what society says is “normal.” I am compelled to live radically. I am compelled to encourage others to do the same.
So how do we pay for an adoption in these economic times? We step out in faith. We don’t wait. Because “without faith it is impossible to please God.” I couldn’t be more convinced that God is watching to see if we are serious and when He sees you and me doing without and intentionally preparing to bring another one home THEN He will open the flood gates of heaven and sell a cow or two for you (and me)….and we will once again be reminded that He is the Miracle-working, Mountain-moving, Awe-inspiring, Gasp-giving God despite economic forecasts and worldly reasoning!!! Yippee Jesus!! xo
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love living the truth, and I'm encouraged by your honest words. (I'm not crazy – whew – good to know.)
Big hug,
Lisa
Love this post! My husband and I have 2 children from overseas. Our youngest son joined us last October and when we started the process, we had no idea if we "were suppose to" adopt again or not. We knew we were to step out on faith and God would provide. Boy did He ever! We "deserve" none of this but I am so thankful God has blessed me through adoption!
Jennifer
Wow, that was just what I needed to hear. Awesome post!
You are soooo right! God has told me these same things. He has provided for us to adopt 2 times and He will do it again. He has also caused my husband and myself to give to others adopting and to orphans. I think about and pray for orphans daily. My heart knows beyond a doubt that He wants us to care for orphans. Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this!
Christy
I love reading your blog. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful….I've written about the financial part of adoption too…it's hit me a lot lately. We also never went into an adoption with the funds.
http://everlastingmomentum.blogspot.com/2009/08/financial-aspect-of-adoption.html
Also about the effect of the economy on orphans hit me…
http://everlastingmomentum.blogspot.com/2009/06/deja-vu-monday-effect-of-economy-on.html
I share these with you because I am so amazed and impressed with your heart and love to see a sister in Christ with such an amazing heart. I feel priviliged to read your blog. Thank you so much for sharing with the rest of us.
what an awesome post. Such a reminder! de-serve. i think that will always be stuck in my mind.
What an incredible post. We adopted 3 little ones with special needs. We didn't have to pay a penny for our adoptions. Adopting children from our province doesn't cost.
I use to say we sacrificed so much (no holidays, no going out, etc.) because even though our adoptions didn't cost, having 3 extra children in our home did and many times we couldn't go or do things because of their needs.
Then one day a dear friend said to me she had been saying the same thing (they adopted 10 children). The Lord spoke to her and said, it's not sacrifice it's worship unto Me.
No one has to think they are sacrificing by downsizing, by only having one car, by not eating out as much, etc. to raise money to adopt. It's all worship unto the King!! Adoption is His heart.
This post speaks volumes to me. It was just what i needed/wanted to hear today. I'm new to your blog, and in a short few weeks, you have been such an inspiration and have brough so much to my mind and i just wanted to say thank you. THANK YOU!! Continue doing what you've been doing. You're making a difference to those around you… and around the blogging world. 😉
One word only is all that is needed….AMEN!
~Lynn
Linny, I needed to hear this! Thank You, Lisa (Whidbey Island)
Thank you, tears are streaming down my face. Daughter of the King, Wife of my amazing husband, Adoptive mother of 4 with one bio-blessing too, and heartbroken Sinner that still has too much stuff in this house and not enough children.
Linny, thank you…thank you for the encouragement and for the confirmation. Thank you for the swift kick in the hiney.
It is so very easy to get stuck in the chaos of bringing home a new sweet one and forget that my calling is not over. I so often get dragged down by the question of "am I going to make it?" But of course I am, because God called me to do this, and He gives me everything I need at the moment I need it. I want to do this again, and I know that when it is His timing He will lead us to our next child. So many people call us crazy and say we don't have it all together, but that's not what it is about. I'll never have it all together, and I'll never be a perfect parent, but it brings me back to what I said above…my Father will give me what I need in the moment and sometimes in the very second that I need it.
I can't wait to pass this post on. Thank you for your words of encouragement. I really needed them at this very moment.
Lots of love,
jennie
The Lord has lead our family to adopt from Uganda. (No doubt that precious Elizabeth and Elijah were a part of God's plan to urge us in this direction.) We have NO money. We decided, however, that we serve a Mighty God, who is not broke. He can do all things and WE "can do all things through Christ who strengthens us."
We signed up for our home study not knowing how we would pay for it. Then God moved. My husband randomly found out that he has some money in a retirement-type account in another state from being a teacher there several years ago. The amount was almost exactly what we needed! How amazing is our God! He can do ALL things! Praise Him!
If we will obey, He will make it happen.
Thank you SO much for this post. I hope many others are inspired to obey and see the wonderful things that God can do through them.
Love in Jesus,
Amy
PS
I've been searching YouTube videos of Uganda and I'm certain that I saw Elizabeth in one of the videos. I'll try to find it and e-mail the link to you. It's amazing how really small this world is.
Very Powerful, Very Convicting…..and yet not offensive. Thank you.
Ahh Linn. You are so right. People ALWAYS tell me they want to help, or they want to adopt, but they just don't have the money? Say what? Not only did we never have a surplus when we adopted, we didn't have ANYTHING! Well that isn't true. We had 2 cars, a house, and a comfortable life, but money in the bank, nope. Yet even then, when our faith was nothing, God provided, because it isn't about us, not at all! Nearly $50,000 in ONE YEAR of adoption expenses!
And now, well you know the rest. We live daily with money in the bank today, sick babies and salaries tomorrow, no money in the bank today, milk and food needed tomorrow. NOT ONCE HAS GOD EVER, EVER not been faithful, NOT ONCE!!
It comes, and it goes, and it is God's money and the orphans are His children. How can we even begin to try to help an orphan if we can't understand that first, these are His children, and HE never forsakes His children. Never.
You rock!
I am so glad I "know" you and your family. So glad your family has indeed impacted my life a LOT, both when you were here in VA and now despite all these miles.
you need to write a book! i know it would be a bestseller!
This blog is an inspiration for me!! An encouragement on a BAD day!! Life is getting really tough at the moment… I try to remember there is usually something good that comes out in the end.
But I wanted to share my blessings with you.
I am single and am adopting. My agency wants me to have more of an income. I am a SAHM, except for one 12 hr day a week. I feel strongly that God wants me to stay home with my kids. My agency doesn't understand how I manage, on paper it looks impossible, yet I have more then what I need. I am praying that God would open their eyes and minds.
but God has sold many cattle for me!
An example for me ~ I got a quote of over a $1000 to fix my car. I took it to the brother of a friend, he gave me an idea of what I really need. Another friend in my hometown (6 hrs away) is willing to fix it for the cost of parts… meaning I will probably actually spend $200.
Another example~ a friend fixed my door and my air conditioner this week, saving me a couple $100.
Another example ~ a random church in a nearby town is helping with the cost of my preschool tuition!
God works in many differnt ways!!
Awesome! And coming from another child of God, He provides every penny! We're a one income family. We have been asked many times how we can afford to adopt from Uganda and we have said, "Because God said to."
You are right on with God's provision and tithing. You're an encouragement!!!
Amen and Amen! I needed to hear this TODAY! Thank you! I don't know why I fear – every dollar we have spent so far has come straight from God – and it has been thousands! To God be the Glory!
Thank you for this we stepped out and trusted God to adopt our daughter from China in 2008. The funds were all provided I admit I was working two jobs to pay for the adoption though God provided me the second job so I would be able to stay at home with our daughter for over a year now.Thanks again and God bless.
Amen!
Love in Christ,
Janet, Kevin, Ted, Philip, and waiting for Eli
This is so true…every single bit of it. We are in the process of adopting right now. This is one of my husbands concerns until God made it so clear and answered concern after concern until my husband knew there was no other choice but to adopt our son. We have seen God move in amazing ways very quickly! Our story is at http://www.godsaidgetmoving.blogspot.com
It's amazing what happens when you sincerely seek God for his purpose in every area of your life.
Thank you for writing this and for your blog in general. Your blog has been a very important instrument used by God in many ways in our jouney over the last several months. I've seen God line up your topics with my bible study and church sermons and other blogs too. All of which has come together and contributed to us pursuing adopting our baby Micah from Ethiopia.
Thank you so much!
God Bless!
Amen Linny! Your words really struck a chord with me. We adopted in 2007 and will be leaving to receive our 2nd daughter in just a few weeks. We had virtually little to no money in the bank when we started the adoption process for either of these adoptions, but God provided. A mature Christian friend told us at the beginning of our adoption journey.."Where God guides…He provides" and we have found that to be so true. Just a few weeks ago we still needed a whopping $16,000 to complete our new daughter's adoption….today we are only about $5,000 short, but we have faith that God will provide the remaining funds….probably at the very last minute because He likes to show off like that!! We invite you to share in our journey when we travel to China in October to bring our daughter, Kaci, home.
Thanks for saying these things….I needed reminding myself!
Please don't forget to mention the Orphans right here in America who are being cared for (wards of) the government (state). Three of our four kids fall into that category. There is practically no expense for the adoption process. Of course, there are expenses of raising a child, but as my mom and dad used to say … if they had waited until they could afford kids they wouldn't have had any … but they had 7!
This post is so true! Thank you for posting this. We have decreased our expenses drastically for our adoption and God is blessing us tremedously! I wrote a post similiar to this the other day. I love that someone else is radical too.
I have been a long time reader of your blog but have never posted. But all I can say is AMEN!!! We are currently waiting for our travel approval from China to be able to bring home our son. He is 3 yrs. old. We have 4 children at home with us now. When we began the adoption process about a year ago people thought we were crazy. We believed it was God's will for this little boy to be a part of our family. We didn't have the money and we commited to not going into debt for the adoption. We cut back our expenses, saved and pinched pennies, but God has amazinly provided for all of our expenses. One day we got a check in our mailbox for $1,000 – no idea who left it there! It has been such a testimony to our children of God's provision. As I said we are waiting for our travel approval and we have no "stress" because our financial needs for the adoption have all been met.
Linny,
Thank you for this post! I have to SHOUT a resounding YES and AMEN! Just last year about this time, we received a gift of over 18,000 for our adoption. 12,000 of it was from one person…not a wealthy person, either. How humbling to see God work! He is serious about this orphan care thing.
Love your heart (and your blog, too).
Barbra
wow. such a heartfelt post. and i agree wholeheartedly about sacrificing and stepping out in faith.
but it's also about submission.
and the hubster and i were not on the same page. i have prayed, but no budging on that.
i know there is a purpose in all of that. . .
i will continue to pray tho, after hearing a clear word about that tonite. . .
in the meantime, i will parent my niece, our little "orphan" who has moved in with us while she prepares to go to college next year. pray for her, too, that she would see the Jesus that we hope we are living out loud in front of her.
to God be the glory!!
I absolutely love this post Linny! Thank you thank you…..you have said it all so much better than I could. I love the wisdom that you share here all the time, and i can't begin to imagine the numbers of childrens lives that have been, are being and will be changed because of you-hope you have a really really big wall for those photos!
And thank you for challenging me and reminding me yet again what I know but sometimes forget to live out as much as I should.
blessings from Australia,
Absolutely, totally, completely true! God has been showing me so much about money in the past couple of years. We have always believed in living simply, but I realize now that we also were living in a stingy fashion. What a joy to give all to Jesus (finances included!). God has provided miraculously for all of our adoptions, but the last one was even more obviously from God. He is good and He is so totally generous!!!
Blessings to you,
Sarah
We ate oatmeal (bought in bulk 50 lb bags through our local health food store) for a year to help fund our adoption. It was healthy, quick to cook in the microwave, and way cheaper than the cold cereal and other things we had been paying for.
We also stopped all 401k contributions for a year and put the money into our adoption fund. My husband's small company has a generous 401k match and we asked the boss if he would mind making a donation to our adoption fund in place of the 401k match since we would not be contributing that year. He agreed and gave us some more money above the regular match.
We also didn't eat out and worked hard to not spend money on anything we didn't absolutely need. Back when we were saving to buy our home, we went as far as drinking powdered milk in place of regular milk. That was rough but saved a lot of money as well. We did not need to go to that extreme to save for our adoption but we would have if we had needed to.
I highly recommend The Complete Tightwad Gazette for more ideas on saving money which you can then use to pay for an adoption. We are a one income family who barely qualified financially to adopt from China (according to their financial rules) and we don't qualify income wise to adopt any more children from China. If we can save up the money, then most other families should be able to as well if they just get creative financially.
i hear you sister loud and clear-whoa and wow!
A Place Called Simplicity=
TRULY AMAZING!!!!
Thank you for posting this. We were planning on adopting – but I kept thinking about the money thing too…. then life/God kicked us in the pants when my husband lost his 75,000 dollar a year job. Now a family of 6 is living on my teaching salary, and guess what…. we cut excess expenses and are doing just fine. So that started me thinking…. if we can get by on my teaching salary then why can't we use his to adopt, etc. So that is what we are now looking at doing. We of course need to have him find a job, but we can finish paying off our debt, and then jump right in to the adoption process- – at least that is my hope. Pray for us please as we try to find the right path for our family. Kelly
I remember your post on tithing. I think it was the third message I had heard or read on the subject that week. I had been struggling with how we would afford our next adoption and God was giving me a clear message. Faith and Obedience!! So in uncertain economic times and with very little in a savings account to start the adoption process again, we began to give a full tithe and to support children in need in other parts of the world. I am a huge worrier, but I have had such peace about this and God is already providing for expenses as they come up. It is now my turn to step it up and cut out things "I deserve", to help bring my second child HOME. Thanks for a great post!
Beautiful Linny! What you said is so very true. Americans are so spoiled with an abundance of "stuff." And yet, so often we begin to think of these things as necessities. Thank you for reminding us of what is truly important. May God use this post mightily.
Great post! I am sure you will get a lot of amens on that one! Very timely too for us. We are nearing the end of our adoption process, and have precious little left to pay for the rest of our adoption expenses. We don't want to take on debt for this, so we are trusting God! We are wondering if there is something else God wants us to do before He sells a cow for us. Anyway, this is the biggest chunk of money we have ever had to trust Him for, and time is running out! I've seen Him do it for others, but a part of me wonders if He really will do it for us! Please pray for us…Thanks!
Girl…my heart is beating with yours!! Awesome post and SO TRUE!! Satan has sold people a big lie when he tries to convince us that tithing is a bad word. It is FUN! Satan doesn't want anyone to know that because…wow…the 'damage' we could do on earth!!
We have never had the money for any of our adoptions either. Sometimes it has been breathtakingly scary to step out in faith. We have no college funds, so vacation funds, but we are SO blessed. In fact, like you, I feel compelled to give because it's so sickening to think of children starving while I contemplate buying some $15 item I don't REALLY need.
The other day I noticed a woman wearing a gorgeous diamond wedding ring. I felt a pang of envy, because I used to really want one of those big honkers. 🙂 Then a verse that God gave me about my children popped into my head…"you will wear them all like jewels." And I smiled… I already have so much more than a diamond ring!
I hope your post inspires MANY people to step out in faith! 🙂
AMEN! Thank you for the very timely reminder – as we embark on our second adoption, we are selling a beloved car – and I have "stickyness" about it. The Lord has used you tonight to help me get unsticky and let go to help bring my daughter home. Thank you for your obedience and your faithfulness to Him.
ms linny,
i have had the honor and huge privilege of getting to be a long-distance friend to abi over the past few weeks… what a blessing she is, and what an AMAZING mom she has! just YESTERDAY i was talking to her about how scared i was that we are stepping out in faith for this adoption, going to uganda next week, adopting two kids we have never seen or met but that i love with every ounce of my being, and we are still short a large sum of money…large.
this was YESTERDAY… of course, she reassured me that God would provide, and even today he has sent in a small stream of money that has made me feel better… but then abi texted me and told me to read this post that you wrote today- you wrote this for me… ok so it's not about me 🙂 but i still feel like this was a Word from the Lord that i desperately needed…
thank you so much! be praying for our fundraising efforts and that God would do something crazy and miraculous… i love your blog. you are a massive inspiration… oh yeh, and pray that my husband wouldn't cap the number of kids we adopt because i want about a million 🙂
much love in Christ,
meghan
meghanmatt@gmail.com
Thanks Linny, DH and I alternately get "cold feet" about the one we are working on, the Dr said it will take 20 procedures to correct the SN (gulp) Maybe someone with a bunch of money will decide to adopt him instead,but they have not stepped forward….now we wait on C*AA to decide if we are OK. Thank you for reminding me GOD holds all that money, ain't ours anyway.
BTW did you read the web site "Need for a Father?" referred you to after your post about Isaiah? check it out and comment please.
GREAT post!
We, too, stepped out in FAITH for our 3 children from Ghana.
A month after beginning the pursuit of the adoption, with no idea how it would be paid for, we received an anonymous $15,000.
Now, we are stepping out in faith again, as we have moved into full-time ministry, in a little tiny church in a very expensive place to live. We have no idea where we are going to live … no idea at all. But, we believe that the Lord would not call us there and then leave us homeless.
We have walked in faith for 27 years, and the Lord has never let us down.
Laurel 🙂
Once again God has RAWKED MY SOCKS! I read your post about single women adopting and was moved and today I read this post and my hearts desire is confirmed. After reading your first post I poured over Reeces Rainbow falling in love with child after child and God made my heart sing at the sight of one very special little boy. So I began a string of emails with the folks there to gather information of what is next. Got my "to do" list and immediately began to be beat up by the enemy. Over and over his taunting sneer asking me how on earth I thought I would afford this … how would a single mom ever get it all together enough to adopt a child from Russia … well the TRUTH is I HAVE NO CLUE …. BUT GOD KNOWS WHERE EVERY CENT WILL COME FROM and my Trust is IN HIM! So that is it! My 3 kids are so excited to welcome a little brother into our home. I am so excited and yes … today i make the choice to live my life for HIM! IN HIM!
thanks Linny for your words of wisdom!
sara
Linny – I don't even know where to begin. I am single…adopting…God has been so good, but I am at the point of needing a few cows sold as I prepare to update my paperwork.
Tonight, my heart is so heavy. I have been logged in in CHina for 31 months. It was a year before that when I began…as a single, I had to wait almost a year for a single's spot with my agency. How my heart longs to hold my baby! I am top on the special needs list – approved for minor needs only. praying I will find my Emma soon. Please join me in praying about the finances – which to this point have been totally God covered – and that I would know her sweet face the moment I see it! Tonight, I almost can't breathe – I want to hold her so badly.
"How great is our God" is playing right now on your playlist – how true that is. And I praise him for this wait as He is continually teaching me to listen for His voice…to wait on HIS plan…
Thank you for the encouragement and prayers. I'm praying He will provide a new coffee pot for you! 🙂
Much love – Angie
Well said!! It is something people often ask me and I can only explain by saying that God has provided. I love the example of the widow with the jars of oil in 2 Kings 4:1-7. This is how I have felt about all of our adoptions. Our bank account became the oil flowing until the debts (or money needed for adopting) were paid and then stopped flowing. We too have NEVER had the money when adopting (working on 4 and 5 now – YAY GOD) and God has ALWAYS provided when we step out in faith. Don't wait until you have the money, because then you will never adopt, that's what I tell people. Thanks Linn! Blessings!!
James
PS: say hi to Dwight for me and tell him I'd love to skype with him some time – it's been too long since we communicated!
We, too, have seen God provide in AMAZING ways…I share your heart, Linny!
Thank you for living out loud!!!!!!!!
We continue to pray for Jubilee…
Love,
Laine
I remember just a couple of weeks ago I wrote to you and said, I really want to be open to a 4th adoption but we have no money. Not that we really had money the previous times, except for #2 when we had inheritance money, but we have managed before. We acquired some debt yes, but we also have the means to pay it off (eventually).
My husband and I have recently been talking about going forward for #4 and just saying "yes" to God and seeing what He does. It's scary, but exciting too.
Thanks for your post. You just confirmed what God has been speaking to my heart for the past month. Can I link to it from my blog?
Now pray for us that our family and friends don't disown us when we announce we are adopting again. 🙂
Perfectly written. Amen. I also have heard, "Sure God can provide for the adoption but then it takes a lot of money to raise them the rest of their life." Hmmmm…can it not be possible that the same powerful God that provided for the adoption, could provide for the rest of their lives? Are we limiting God? I think so. Oh this area is so hard for me too as I hear the SAME comment all the time. Obey. That's all we have to do. Hugs, my friend. I'm thinking of you often..and waiting/expecting news about Jubilee.
Thank you so much for the gentle reminder that GOD IS IN CONTROL! If He brings us to it, He WILL bring us through it!
This has been our motto as we have recently begun our 2nd adoption (5th child).
Finance worries have been keeping me up at night lately and I really needed to read this post tonight.
Thank you for your transparency! What a blessing you are!
Hey Linny… this is Justin… I just wanted to tell you that I could not have said it any better myself… this is exactly what has been on my heart lately and you were able to put words to it… like shauna said… God has provided thousands of dollars for us so far… exactly how much we need at exactly the right time… we are trusting God for every cent and He has not faltered… Thanks for the encouragement and give that big thin haired guy a hug for me!
Linny,
God and I have been speaking about my finances lately. I have set up a budget, and am excited to see Him move. I am convinced that He will provide every dollar I need to bring my daughter home. He has really been speaking to me the last few weeks, redirecting me to a new orphanage in Uganda that will accept me as a single parent, and showing me in the Scriptures that He is in this! He has also been asking me to consider how seriously I take the charge to care for orphans…even if she's older than I expected? Even if "she" is "they"? Thank you for these wonderful posts. I am blessed!
Melissa
You have no idea how much this post has meant to me. We are in the midst of a heartbreaking halt on our adoption. We have been at a complete standstill not knowing what to do. Switch countries?? Or d we wait around and keep praying and praying "what to do". Well, you just confirmed what I've been thinking…. just GO FOR IT! As long as we are moving forward… even if it's crawling…
Thank you, Linny, for such important words. I hope you don't mind, but I've shared your link on my blog. I certainly couldn't say it better than you just did!
The past two years have been a huge trial for our family. Job loss, relocation, new church, new business start up, debt when we used to be debt free, all while our hearts kept pounding out the beat of adopting again. We wrestled and fought and begged God to change our circumstances so we could afford it. It hasn't happened. Last year, we applied to and were accepted to a Christian agency. We began fundraising, it was so frustrating as time and again we could not get the support needed to raise the necessary funds. Then as I was searching the adoptuskids website, I found the two most precious little boys. We thought we would be adding these boys to our family, yet God just used them to draw us to foster adoption. We are now one training class away from having our home open to America's forgotten. These children fall under the orphan category as well. There is a huge need in our area for foster/adoptive families. Somehow it's not a "glamerous" as our Indian adoption, yet God wants us to get in the trenches with these kids too.
I add a hearty amen to your post as well. God provided every dime of our $28,000 adoption the first time. He just called us to something vastly different this time.
You put this SO WELL! Thank you for posting this…
I want to say that there have been many times where I am so over come with feeling like I have to much. That I do not deservie any of it. Compaired to many friends I have always felt we live a simple life but still Im very convicted to give it away. I want to do more, I know I need to do more. I also need to trust god more and know he is in charge even over my checkbook:)
May I also say I love your photos from today post. I love the view and the close up cow, ohhh love it!
I love you! I love you! I love you! We are totally stepping out in faith for this current adoption. Scary. I so needed this for inspiration. No, we are not crazy. We are children of the King!
Oh my word, Linny.
That was THE BEST.
Loved every thing you had to say.
Love your heart for Him and for what He loves: the orphan 🙂
Wow, sister. Gut check time.
You are amazing. Your heart is amazing. God is using you to do amazing things. I'm thankful He placed you in my life.
Every single thing you wrote is so true. It's what I've heard…read…said. And it's just what I needed right now.
Love you, friend.
Oh, and can you now address when people say, "I want to adopt…after I have just one more baby."
I could cry!!!
I really appreciate your post. I feel like God has been speaking to me about adoption for over a year now. My husband is not totally convinced. However, I don't feel like God's timing is right now, but I'm not sure. I feel confused about why He keeps speaking to me about it and why He is bringing people into my life that have adopted.
I have 2 biological children, and I have a strong desire to have at least one more, if not 2. I do desire to adopt 2 children. I have had a desire for a large family for a while now (well, 6 seems large to me 🙂 My husband is also not totally convinced about that either, although he does like the idea sometimes. My confusion is largely over my desire for more biological children- like sometimes I feel that it's a sin to have more babies when I'm so aware of ALL the babies out there that need parents. I have asked God to take away my desire to get pregnant and that hasn't happened so far. I'm having a hard time reconciling this. I would love to hear your insight on this, and would so appreciate any thoughts. You can email me privately if you'd like: kcirka1@hotmail.com.
thanks so much,
Kathy
Linny~
AMEN, SISTER! You have so elloquently spoken what has been in my heart the last 6 years (that's how long we've been adopting). We will soon complete our 4th and 5th process … and we never had a dime set aside for adoption, or anything else for that matter. We are on our knees asking the Lord to reveal just how creatively He's going to finish providing for this process, BUT WE KNOW HE WILL!
I'm going to link to this post on my blog! And I think I just came up with an answer to the comment we always hear, "I'd love to adopt if only we could afford it."
"My friend Linny says…." 🙂
Our motto is: We have no retirement, but our investment continues to grow – praise Him!
Love you, friend! And we're praying for Jubilee!
Howdy Linny,
Right on! Right on!!!!
I like your "please sell a cow for us" statement. That's our Abba, Papa!!!
Your words are packed with truth and inspiration! Thank you for being so real in your posts and sharing your life with us. You are truly a blessing.
I don't even know what to say!!!…thank you for sharing your heart! My eyes welled up with tears when I read about "deserve" and it's meaning!
so good. It is funny, in both my adoptions, I tried to figure it out all in advance, the finance side….and had money set aside either from stock I had, home equity, or a bonus at work. EACH time some crisis or something came along, before the adoption was final, to wipe out my stockpile…. my best laid plans….
and yet, God did provide, through my job, or downsizing my lifestyle (moved to a less expensive home, stopped those nails and vacations and daily Starbucks) and even though this sound wierd, dragged my adoptions out long enough (totally outside my control) that the funds were there when they needed to be.
I have made some dumb financial choices that made it harder along the way..and have learned (hopefully)….but God has been merciful and I have my precious daughter and almost have my second one.
It is scary to send in an application, when you barely have the money to cover the application fee, let alone anything else. Pray it up and step out in faith.
SO TRUE!!!!We have stepped out on faith with each adoption. We have barely qualified financially each time. Amazingly we have qualified by only a couple of hundred dollars each time—-but our income has gone up 40k in the last 5 years, as we have/are adopting 4 kids. ONLY GOD!!!! Janet
Thanks for these encouraging words. We are in the middle of another adoption ourselves, and are wondering where the rest of the money is coming from! I know it will happen providentially . . . thanks for the reminder.
— Nancy
I have been so blessed reading the comments to this post alone! Let us join in the testimonies to God's faithfulness to provide for those who step out in faith.
Like you, we work in ministry and don't have an exhorbitant income. The projected cost of our adoption was equivalent to what my husband brings home in one year. It was amazing to see how He provided right before each and every payment milestone (we were private about our need — most didn't even know we were adopting the first time). It was such an obvious affirmation of His hand in the process that I would need to remember during times when I was frozen in doubt and fear. You see, when we met our daughter she had many SEVERE unexpected developmental delays (no signs from the initial referral). What in the world had we gotten into? That's when my husband reminded me that God had brought us this far and He would continue to sustain us in the days, weeks, and months ahead. I'm pleased to share that we've gotten to witness a second miracle as over the past two and a half years He has rehabilitated her heart, body, and mind and she is gradually 'catching up' with her peers. Her therapists, teachers, and our SW are literally AMAZED at her improvement.
We're now waiting for referral #2 and have the money in the bank so when the call comes, we can go! He truly has provided!
Love this post!! Thank you for sharing your heart! God is good all the time!! Praying about starting our second adoption…knowing God will provide the funds if it is His will!
Blessings,
Monica
ps-Hope Tyler and his beautiful bride are doing well.
Thanks so much for sharing the Fathers heart! As you know, we are missionaries, and we live off a "tiny" salary. If we lived in the states, as our family of ten, we would be considered way below the poverty line–but we both know our riches come from Christ! However, we have not let this stop us from answering the Lords call to take care of His children. Each and every time we have brought a precious soul into our home the Father has taken care of the expenses. Our last time at highcourt the judge asked us, "how will you manage to meet the financial needs of all these kids?" We were honest, "we trust the Lord to take care of us. These children were left for dead and what we can offer, through trusting the Lord, is far better than what was going to be their lot." By faith each and every time. Thanks for walking this journey alongside of us….Now I believe I ought to blog about our journey of faith 🙂 Hugs from Uganda (where your daughter Emma is always welcome)!
Ok, at the risk of sounding negative, and that is not my intent, I have some questions/thoughts.
I don't think God calls everyone to adopt. I agree, He has a heart for the orphan, but orphans can look very different. There are people who have been displaced and rejected by society as a whole and they might have bio parents, but in their heart they are an orphan.
I know people who have adopted and are phenomenal parents and have a great relationship with their kids. I also know people with bio children that are overwhelmed.
I know that without a supernatural move of the Lord in my life/heart there is no way that I would be able to deal with more children. We generally have more month than money and we live very frugally now. Medical bills are the problem for us. Add that to the fact that we have no support system whatsoever, and it wouldn't be fair to a child to bring them here. I also know that there is no way that we could get approved to adopt in any country because of things that happened in our past prior to serving the Lord.
I love reading your blog, but sometimes it makes me feel like because I can't (and truly wouldn't want to) add more children to my home through adoption, that I am not serving God the way I should. Maybe that is not what you are saying, but that is the perception I have.
So, my questions are, do you truly believe everyone is supposed to adopt? Do you not believe God places a passion for the orphan and adoption into those He gifts to raise them?
Linny, I love this post! I am totally getting everything you said, UGH….why am I (we) to scared to proceed??
This post you wrote is my testimony of my adoption-in-progress and this is the caption to my blog:
"…the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." 1 Nephi 3:7
I can testify that God provided the money as needed and I kept a written journal of each miracle.
If you want to read about it, click through to my blog and it's in the Feb. 2007 archive.
God has also provided me the means to have purchased my first home, a remarkable accomplishment in California right now for a single, self-employed, work-at-home woman.
Came over by way of a link from a friend. What an amazing post! I'm in tears and silently praying. If he can provide for all of you, why wouldn't He provide for us??
As The Waggoners stated above, the comments alone are a blessing to read and an affirmation that we serve an amazing God.
Thank you for this post.
Blessings!
JG
We are right now believing God for!15000 to come in in 2 short weeks and God is doing it. Thank you for your words. you are RIGHT. If you want to donate to our adoption…www.graceadoptionministry.com is our affiliated ministry and you just need to mark your donation "Norene Adoption". Thank you so much!
Perfectly stated! I linked this post to my blog. Thanks for the Biblical insight.
Thanks for this! Can I have your authorization to share this post or link it from my blog? It's incredibly written and while you or I can't convict someone, your words can sure open them up to it.
My husband and I are waiting to be matched from our agency's China SN program, and I have gotten the "we just can't afford to adopt" soooo many times. I know quite a few people who need to hear this.