{"id":2619,"date":"2010-11-28T00:15:22","date_gmt":"2010-11-28T04:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=2619"},"modified":"2010-11-28T00:15:22","modified_gmt":"2010-11-28T04:15:22","slug":"chosen-the-road-to-adoption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=2619","title":{"rendered":"Chosen: The Road to Adoption"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you remember the first time you were chosen for something? \u00a0Perhaps it was the kickball team at recess or maybe you were chosen to attend the popular girl\u2019s 7 year old birthday party. \u00a0Maybe you were chosen for that job that you really wanted or selected as the winner of that scholarship you worked so hard for. \u00a0Every one of us remembers what it feels like to be chosen\u2026to be wanted. \u00a0It\u2019s a good feeling and one that everyone likes to feel on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, we also all know what it feels like NOT to be chosen. \u00a0Have you ever been the one left standing there? \u00a0Do you remember what it was like to hear everyone talk about that awesome adventure that they all went out without you? \u00a0Can you imagine living your whole life feeling like no one wanted you\u2026no one chose you?<\/p>\n

Clint, Emma, and I believe that God has called us to make sure that doesn\u2019t happen for a little boy in Ethiopia. \u00a0We believe God has chosen us to be good stewards of the way we have been blessed. He has given us the desire to turn that blessing into something tangible by choosing to adopt a little boy from a nation is full of kids in need of a rescue.<\/p>\n

Adoption is one of the clearest pictures of what salvation is all about. \u00a0Before Christ, we are completely without hope. \u00a0Once we accept Christ as our Savior, Romans 8:17 says that we have been adopted into the family of God as joint heirs with Jesus.<\/p>\n

Clint and I have been so blessed by our little girl Emma. \u00a0We never imagined that we could love anyone as much as we love Emma. \u00a0She is the most amazing daughter that parents could hope for and we are so excited to see the way that she cares about others. \u00a0God has been speaking to Clint and I individually and collectively about adoption through different situations over the past few years. \u00a0We believe now is the time.<\/p>\n

It has been a lot of fun to share this news with our families over the Thanksgiving weekend. \u00a0During a season where we take the time to recognize all that we are grateful for, we also realize how much we have to give. \u00a0We started the adoption process a few weeks ago and have partnered with a great agency in the Atlanta area. \u00a0We have already filled out tons of paperwork and look forward to the next pile that is coming our way. \u00a0We have interviews, home studies, and several other hoops to jump through as we wait for the phone to ring with news that our little boy is ready for us to come and get him.<\/p>\n

I have spent a lot of time the past few weeks reading what the Bible has to say about adoption. \u00a0I have listed 12 verses below for you to consider. \u00a0Will you commit to praying for Clint, Emma, and I as our family goes through this process? \u00a0Will you commit to praying for our little boy that we haven\u2019t met yet? \u00a0Will you commit to praying for his parents who are choosing to give him a better life by choosing to give him up for adoption? \u00a0Most importantly, will you commit to praying for our son to come to Christ as a result of the love he will experience being a part of our family?<\/p>\n

We look forward to this process. \u00a0We know it will not be easy. \u00a0However, we do believe that God has equipped us and prepared us for this. \u00a0We don\u2019t know how long this will take, but we look forward with great anticipation to the day that we will bring our little boy home where he will be forever known as son and brother!<\/p>\n

In you the orphan finds mercy.
\nHosea 14:3<\/p>\n

Never take advantage of any widow or orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure that I will hear their cry.
\nExodus 22:22-23<\/p>\n

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
\nRomans 8:14-16<\/p>\n

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
\nGalatians 4:4-6<\/p>\n

You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
\nPsalms 10:14,17-18<\/p>\n

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
\nJames 1:27<\/p>\n

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows \u2014 this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.
\nPsalms 68:5-6<\/p>\n

When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don\u2019t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.
\nDeuteronomy 24:19<\/p>\n

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
\nIsaiah 1:17<\/p>\n

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.
\nProverbs 31:8-9<\/p>\n

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.
\nMatthew 18:5<\/p>\n

I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!
\nMatthew 25:40<\/p>\n

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Do you remember the first time you were chosen for something? \u00a0Perhaps it was the kickball team at recess or maybe you were chosen to attend the popular girl\u2019s 7 year old birthday party. \u00a0Maybe you were chosen for that job that you really wanted or selected as the winner of that scholarship you worked […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family","category-generosity"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2619\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}