It still amazes me that my journey with infertility, adoption and fostering started when I was only 12 years old; a journey that would impact 4 generations of people that I love. What I didn't understand then, was that God always has a plan for our lives; often that plan doesn't look anything like what we had wanted or hoped for. But HIS plan is what is best for us and HIS love for us is expressed by all the blessings that come along that path.
As a pre-teen,I knew about God, but didn't have a personal relationship with Him. What I did know, is that I was an only child, always wishing for a sibling. What I did know is that my parents had tried to adopt, during a time when adoption wasn't always possible, as they, too, wished for another child.
When my parents became foster parents (when I was 12), I wasn't sure how I felt. Our first placement, Tim, was a 6 week old baby and it looked as if adoption was in his future. I was smitten by the end of the first day! I loved my new roll as a "big sister" and did everything with that little baby as we watched him grow. Unfortunately, the legal processes, as they also are today, didn't allow him to be placed timely. So, for the next 14 months, we watched this cute little baby grow, develop a personality, call us endearing names; and we waited for the inevitable time when he would leave us.
My heart had a sisterly connection with my foster brother. So the day when his new wonderful adoptive family picked him up for the last time, my heart was broken and it was the first time that I truly understood what loss was about. For Tim, he was gaining a new family - his forever family - and they were wonderful. For us, having been so connected to him, we were losing a part of our world. I remember watching the car driving away and I thought my heard would never mend.
So when infertility and adoption became my reality with my husband many years later and when I finally understood God's role in my life, it wasn't surprising that these things became my passion. It also hasn't been surprising to me that our daughter has carried such deep passion to be immersed in this world; she and her husband now have 4 beautiful foster children and I love my newly found title of "Oma" to them.
By the way - God never closed the chapel of my childhood foster story. We have been blessed to have been a part of Tim's live for 40 years! In fact, my husband and I were blessed to have been at his wedding in the recent past; the first time that I had seen him since he was a child. What a blessing his adoptive family has been to us. What a blessing God has given me in every part of the journey He has taken us on.
Have you considered fostering or adoption? Have you thought it would be too hard? Yes, there may be hard times, but I can attest to the fact that God has a plan and if you jump on the journey, you will be forever changed!
