For years now I have felt a call the Lord put on my life to someday grow our family through adoption. After years of prayer, & attending a gospel-centered, adoption- friendly church, I have seen Luke's heart become softened and also broken for the orphan as well. Our family is responding to the call and slowly, but surely pursuing the long, but invaluable process of adopting a child.
Why adopt?
"Why adopt?" You ask. "Isn't that just for infertile couples or a plan B or C?" For us, it all points back to us being children of God. He not only loved us, but adopted us into His family and kingdom. Pastor Tony Merida said it perfectly on Sunday during his sermon, "It's theology, not biology that calls us to these orphans." Our God could have loved and forgiven us and it would have been the greatest proclamation, but he didn't stop there, hallelujah! Ephesians 1:5 tells us specifically "Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." Paul goes on in Romans 8:17 to tell us "And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering." So in this way, we can extend physically what Christ has done in our lives. Our prayer through this journey has and will be that our heart for adoption is God's heart for adoption. He is for the orphan, so we are for the orphan.
One statistic I came across during my research was this: "if less than 8% of Christians worldwide adopted an orphan, orphanages would be EMPTY. With that being said, as believers one of the greatest commandments we have in this life comes from Matthew 28. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28: 19-20. This commandment isn't a kind request or a command reserved to church leaders, but rather a command on anyone's life who claims Christ as savior and king. In this, we believe we have an opportunity to adopt, love unconditionally, and be earthly parents to a child who was once orphaned and may have never had the opportunity to hear the good news.
Pregnancy in Adoption
The way we have decided to grow our family may not be the American standard or the norm. We are taking this opportunity to share the heart behind our motives and invite others to join us on our journey. It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child, so it must also take a village to adopt a child, right? We joke that we are pregnant in adoption, but in a way we are. There is preparation for us as well, it may just look different and not on the 9 month timeline of having a biological child. The wait will be long, and each day we will yearn for our forever child, but my hope and prayer is that we will draw closer to Him in the waiting as we trust in Him and give over control.
What's Next?
We took a prepare class on foster and adoption several months back through the Austin Stone Community Church, our church home. While we already knew our family would eventually adopt, it was a great way to meet other families on our same track and learn the in's and out's of adoption (both domestic and international). There's a lot to learn and pray through! We are feeling called beyond US borders, and are praying for guidance and wisdom in the choosing of a country. Although even this seems as if it's an impossible task to narrow down to one country, one orphanage, and one child when there is roughly 14 million orphans in the world today, it's one step closer to one less orphan. We will soon begin the home study process of our journey. We covet your prayers for provision, wisdom for the road ahead, our child, and our child's birth parents.
With love,
Jen & Luke Schwoch
To hear Tony Merida's sermon titled "Adoption: The Apex of Redemptive Grace and Privilege" and other sermons on our spiritual adoption visit:
http://austinstone.org/resources/sermons
*Photo: God Found us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren, a book we have already purchased and found helpful in what it will look like to process through adoption with our little one one day.
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18
