[CarmJoeMom]

Someone told me when I wasn't sure if I was going to start/continue the process that if you consider adoption, than it is in your heart and you will NOT make the wrong decision if you go with it. Or another one I heard was that God wouldn't put it in my heart, if it wasn't the right thing to do.

I'm just wondering if you think that is true for everyone? I mean I think a lot of people consider it, but don't go along with it...does that mean it's not in their heart?

[nurse_reedle]

I don't know about every one, but I know it was placed in my heart as a very young teenager and was something I could never get away from. It hung in my heart like a strong, heavy desire that wouldn't go away. When we decided to adopt (It had never been on my DH's heart until he met me) it was like that heaviness lifted and I was lighter. Then when we laid eyes on our son, I KNEW that I had just been fulfilled and completed in a way that no one else could ever have done. I KNOW that I know that I know, that I was born to adopt my son. If I never do anything else with my life, I have fulfilled my highest purpose :-)

[DD Amasa]

Unfortunately, people can make mistakes, in adoptions as in anything else. I think people who feel a calling to adopt should research and learn all they can, and think long and hard before deciding. Disrupted adoptions do happen and adopted children do get abandoned by their families, some parents have even gone so far as to get the adoptions reversed. It's very sad and tragic for the poor children involved. I can't imagine how it must be for them to be rejected like that.

But for most people thankfully, adoption is a blessing, and you'll hear over and over how parents can't imagine not having these children in their lives.

[ncurry3]

You can have adoption in your heart and yet never adopt. I always wanted to adopt a child from the time I was about 10. DH and I have yet to receive our referral and when I was told I should never get pregnant, my heart broke into a thousand pieces. The day my nephew was born was one of the saddest days of my life and I felt so empty, as if I could never feel love. However, I am now over the moon with my nephew. I think the sun rises and sets on him. Sometimes things happen that were always meant to but sometimes things don't too. I guess all I did was mangle your question and just raise doubt than answers. I guess it's just up to each person/couple/family.

[tsozio]

For me, adoption was something I NEVER thought that I would do. I had two biological boys, and throughout both pregnancies, I wanted a little girl so much (now I wouldn't trade my precious little boys for all the girls in the world) that some people mentioned that I should consider adoption. I read a local newspaper article last spring about a couple here in my town that adopted from China. I was surprisingly so moved by it that I began to think about what it would be like to adopt myself. There were so many obstacles at first and so much research that it kind of overwhelmed me and I shyed away from it. Then, as the weeks progressed, I just began to see all kinds of adoption stories in front of me (on tv, in my community, etc.). I felt like God was putting in front of me and slowly growing the idea in my heart. I prayed and prayed and talked to my husband. He was completely turned off to it at first. He prayed and we talked and researched. We had no idea where the money would come from. Oddly, everything just kind of fell together within a few months. My husband came around and God just changed and opened his heart. My mom has been AMAZING and has basically just funded it all for us (she is working two jobs so that we can make this a reality....I am looking for a part-time job that I can work on evening or weekends so that I can still stay home with my boys but also start to repay her). But most importantly, I got to a point where I just thought about my life and I could not see us not adopting. I just felt like it was a life experience that I needed and this child was already a part of me (whoever she is wherever she is). I told Ernie that I thought if we did not do this I would deeply regret it later, but if we did do it then he would never ever regret it later. I really do feel like it's a matter of what your heart is telling you to do. I do think you need to think about it and be careful and do your research, but at some point, you just know that this is for you. Before we made the desecion, we had made somewhat of a financial plan, talked to our three year old a little, and just really crunched through things. So, yeah, go with your heart. Everything may or may not be easy...there's sure to be ups and downs, but eventually, it will all fall into place.
Timberly

[Guatmom2006]

Yes! I think that God puts something special in all our hearts and adoption is it for some of us. I think that there are always timing issues to consider...that's just life, but I do believe that sometimes, when something seems too big and scary, we let the realities of this world stop us. Nothing is too big or scary for God. He wants bigger things for us than we could ever fathom. If you don't listen to that voice will you have a horrible life? No. But, I do feel that you will miss out on how BIG God wants to bless you. JMHO.

[Mindybeth6]

I think for everyone it is different. When Kris and I were just DATING we talked about how we would love to adopt one day. It took us 8 months to get pregnant with DS after we got married and then when we found out we couldn't have any more children we knew that God intended for us to adopt. We felt led to Guatemala and never once questioned our decision. We still feel that we have been led down this path by God's will. I think it is a very personal decision and everyone's reasons for adopting are different. All I can say is that we have always had a complete peace that we were doing what was intended for our life. We just "knew" this was what was for us. It's a hard path...adoption....a lot more harder then I thought it would be.....but....I still don't question the fact that our daughter was supposed to be in our family. I have no idea when she will come home but she was meant for us....and God made that clear to us.

[Aimeef]

I don't agree that a lot of people consider it. I meet a lot of people that are struggling with infertility and say that adoption just isn't an option. I think a lot of other people who say they wanted to adopt but never did simply mean that they thought it would be a nice thing to do for a child. I think that the people who truely feel that calling can't just walk away from it. My husband and I have known for at least 13 years that we would adopt a little girl one day. We were just waiting for the right time to begin. After meeting my new daughter, I know without a doubt that she was meant for our family.
Aimee

[nattyloo]

Our journey began with an overwhelming desire in my heart to adopt a child. Dh came around more slowly so I spent those months praying that my desire to adopt was place there by God and not just of my own making. I even begged Him to take it away from me if it was not of Him and if dh was not going to come around. Needless to say, the desire just grew deeper and was planted in dh's heart as well. Now we are both in awe of the precious daughter He has chosen for us!

I can't say if each person's desire to adopt was placed there by God- only He knows that! But if you are wondering for yourself, I would say to pray about it. He will reveal His plan for your family!