Faith Over Fear

Jasper Speaks:

Many emotions surround adopting. There is, of course, excitement. You can hardly wait for the time when you meet your child. There is joy as you think about life with this new person. There is love brimming over for someone you have yet to meet. That love is hard to explain to others but has already begun to invade your soul.

There is also fear. There is fear of the unknown. There is fear that you will not be able to raise the funds. There is fear that all the money could be for naught and somewhere along the way, something will go wrong and you will not bring your child home.

Adopting takes a lot of faith. You have to move along in the process because you believe God has brought you to this place. It is similar to walking into a dark, unfamiliar room. You are stepping slowly and cautiously hoping that everything will be all right. So many questions fill your mind. Some nights you lie awake and wonder how in the world all this could actually come together. The financial burden alone is overwhelming. You pray that you are not being a nuisance to your friend and family. You seek out as many ways as you can humbly ask for help. You fear losing people in your life because you have approached them for money to help you.

As an adoptive father, I know it is worth the fear to live in faith. I am reminded of that every time I kiss the forehead of my wonderful son. As I sit with him on my lap sometimes, I think about what his life would have been like if he had not come to our home. Then I think of how empty our lives would be without him. In these moments I realize that, yes, adoption is a scary thing. However, I realize that adoption changes lives. It has changed my son’s life.  It has changed mine.

God’s Word is resplendent with the power of adoption on a spiritual level. It is a visual reminder of God’s love for us.  The Bible also tells us that perfect love drives out fear. As I go to bed tonight, I am certain that there will be adoption fears as I close my eyes. My prayer is that my faith in the God who is in charge of this journey will outweigh those fears.