Adoption – ә’däpSH(ә)n – noun. The act of being adopted: the state of being adopted. Ad – to. – option — choose.

When I think of adoption, this definition doesn’t even come to mind. Adoption is so much more than a mom and dad claiming a child as their own. It is the act of a mother and a father opening their hearts and their homes to someone who God has called them to. It is the act of lowering themselves to meet the needs of the child they brought home, the child who they can now call their own.

I can’t even begin to fathom what my life would be like had I not been adopted. Home would’ve been in an orphanage in Ukraine, far away from the knowledge that someone loved me.

For the mom and dad, adoption is bringing home a new loved one. For the child, adoption is the opportunity to see a world they never would’ve known — and being saved from a life without Jesus; a life without unconditional love. I can’t even begin to fathom what my life would be like had I not been adopted. “Home” would’ve been in an orphanage in Ukraine, far away from the knowledge that someone loved me.

My mom once said, “It wasn’t the needs that scared us, but the unexpected that came with it.” She was absolutely right. If adoption was easy, everyone would do it. If it was too hard, no one would do it. God never promised us it would be easy, He promised to make it easier. The unexpected wasn’t easy, but it resulted in God showing my parents that above all else, HE reigns!

After all God has done for me, how can I not live for Him? Turning my heart and my life over to Him was a decision I will never regret. I live for walking on roads that were planned by God. I trust in His perfect plan. I have hope that the future is bright, and someday I will be living with Him in a place called Heaven. Amen! The above definition of adoption is only the tip of the iceberg. I have been blessed with so much… because I’ve been adopted twice — once into my family, and once into God’s family!