Recently Read

I'm back!  Our trip to Nebraska was absolutely wonderful.  Makes me wish our families lived closer.  We often joke that we are going to build a town with our extended family so we can all live together, and then we brainstorm who can have what job.  We have the teachers, scientists, and pastors well covered...but who's going to collect the trash???

Hmm...we still have a few details to work out.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately (a lot for me, anyway...the Mr. is the true bookworm of our family!  He puts me to shame.).  This past winter I was sharing my heart with a friend, and afterward she passed along a book to me.  She said that it might take awhile for me to be ready to read this book--and I may never be, and that was okay too.  She promised that she wouldn't be the least bit offended if I passed it back to her and had never cracked it open.  I thanked her and put it on a shelf.

It sat there for a long time.

But then after our failed IVF in April, I decided that maybe I was ready to read it.

And I'm so glad I did.  It was really good.

The book is called Carried Safely Home: The Spiritual Legacy of an Adoptive Family by Kristin Swick Wong.  It chronicles her family's journey to adopt their two young sons from Vietnam.  Kristin gives an honest and transparent look into the challenges and struggles of their process as well as highlighting how she saw God's hand at work and celebrating the joys and blessings her family experienced along the way.   There were many things I really liked about this book, and I was surprised to find several similarities between her journey with adoption and mine with infertility.

A few reflections...

1.  I appreciated her grappling with the role of prayer in a Christian's life, especially when we cry out to God and our prayers seem to go unanswered.  We might find ourselves asking, "What is the purpose of prayer anyway?"  I know the "Sunday School" answers to this question and have even encouraged others when they've voiced similar sentiments.  But as it's become more personal, I get it.  I know what it's like to pray like crazy for something and not have it happen they way I had hoped.  But Kristin reminds us of God's sovereignty; He indeed may be answering our prayers, even when the outcome is not what we hoped for.  Sometimes He graciously lets us see how He has worked for our good.  Other times, though, I'm convinced that there are things we won't fully understand this side of Heaven.  

2.  As I discussed in a previous post, I could really resonate with her reflections on the challenges of waiting on the Lord.  Her words encouraged me to be intentional in my own time of waiting, in hopes that God can use this time to grow me and stretch me in ways I might not have been otherwise.

3.  I love her parallels between earthly adoption and our Heavenly Father's adoption of us, his children.

4.  She reminded me of the value of being a part of the body of Christ.  The way her friends came alongside her, prayed for her family and her sons, walked with her through challenges, and celebrated her triumphs was truly amazing.  It really inspired me; I want to be that kind of friend to others.

5.  I was challenged by her call to love our neighbor and care for the orphans and widows in a more global sense.

6.  Kristin's faith is at the center of this book.  She is the first to admit that she is not perfect, but her strong faith, godly character, and desire to follow God's call on her life are evident throughout this story.  It is inspiring.  I love her use of scripture to encourage her readers.  The woman knows her Bible!

I don't know if God is calling us toward adoption.  I do believe that sometimes God does use infertility to move a person's heart toward adoption, but not always.  I do know that adoption is a huge decision and not one to be taken lightly.  I acknowledge that with adoption comes challenges and at times heart-breaking struggles and disappointments, but it also brings unspeakable joys and countless blessings.  We'll see what God has in store for our family.