Plan A

God writes each family's story differently and His plan is always Plan A. For those who believe, He is sovereign over every aspect of our lives.

Families are lead to adoption in many different ways and each story is different and special.

As more people learn about our adoption process, I am often met with sympathies that Raleigh and I cannot have biological children.

I'm not sure why people assume that we have tried to have biological children, but we have not. Adoption is our Plan A. Will we one day decide to have biological children? I really have no idea. Will we adopt again? Again, I do not know. I do know that over the past 24 months God has burdened our heart for the orphan. Now that we know of the need, we cannot turn back.

Please know that apart from God, Raleigh and I would have never opened our hearts to adoption. He is writing this journey...from beginning to end. To Him be all the glory. Each day He renews our faith and we continue to rest in Him knowing that He will provide....the wisdom to be parents, the patience to wait on His timing, the finances to see this adoption to completion, the words to speak when our child asks about his or her birth family, etc.

We are no different than any other young couple. We knew that we wanted to one day be parents. When the time was right, we had planned to have children. However in a matter of two months (April and May 2008) the Lord transformed our desires.

Do you have to adopt to care for the orphan? Absolutely not. There are so many ways to share God's heart...pray for the millions of children's without homes, pray for the children in the US foster care system, find ways to mentor children in your local town, sponsor a child through Compassion, go on a trip with your local church to be the hands and feet of Christ to a child that has no home..... The Lord equips his beleivers with different gifts and consequently asks us each to share in His mission differently.

God's heart is for the orphan. Raleigh and I know that God clearly asked us to adopt a child and through the journey, He is revealing Himself to us daily. Could we do this on our own? No way, but luckily we are not alone. God is with us as well as countless friends and family members that pray for us daily and support us along the way.

For our family, for now, adoption is our Plan A.