147 million orphans

For a long time now I've had that feeling that some day down the road we might adopt. It's always there, but sometimes it gets louder. I don't think I'm ignoring it, because I think God is saying to wait. And I wonder whether everyone has this feeling. If my kids were orphaned I would want them to have a mom, so it makes sense that I would want to step in for someone else.

I don't actually want to adopt. I mean, it makes things way more complicated. The whole process seems daunting, long, and painful. And then it's expensive and you have to travel at least once to actually bring them home. And there are the risks we would be taking-- what if the kids aren't healthy? or smart? or sweet? or cute? or stable? or happy? or what if I don't love them like I love the ones I have now? And we already have four kids. More than that seems like an awful lot of people living in one house. Traveling with that many kids? Insane. And my kids play so many sports--would they have to sacrifice if we brought on more family members? I don't want to be one of those weird families that everyone stares at when you go out to dinner. Except I guess we'd have too many people to go out to dinner anyway, so that eliminates that problem.

My friend Beth, who has the most enormous heart for the unloved, broken, and needy has a sister-in-law with apparently the same size heart. I've been reading her blog and it's amazing. They have seven children, including three girls adopted from China. The youngest two just recently joined the family, and they are older girls with lots of health issues (requiring blood transfusions among other things). They couldn't be more adorable. And it's inspiring reading how rewarding the whole experience has been for her and her family.

We're not ready to start the paperwork, but I'm praying through things. I want it to be in God's timing and all for His glory. The thought of 147 million orphans out there makes me weepy. And I'd like to play my part in reducing that number.