I found this post in my drafts. I wrote this Dec. 6th 2015.  I can’t remember where we were in the adoption process.  I know we wanted to adopt but not sure if we were filling our paperwork with an agency or if we had even taken the foster classes yet. But here it is.  It is beautiful.

I asked, “Do you guys still want to adopt if it’s going to be hard for awhile?”

My oldest Hannah (11 years old at the time)- “Yes, lots of things in life are hard but it’s worth it.”  I love her boldness. She answered with a “of course, duh, tone” 🙂

Joy (7 years old) said, “Yes, they need a family.”

Hannah said, “They need to know they belong somewhere and they’re loved.”

I love this.  My daughters are now 17 and 13 yrs old. I look back on this 5 years later.  This month our youngest son will have been with us for 3 years.  He came to us as a 23 month old foster child.  We brought him into our home not knowing that we would end up with guardianship.  We just felt led to say yes to him.  He turns 5 in a few weeks.

When I originally wrote this I did not know that our son was due to be delivered in just 3 months.  I had no idea.  I can’t read their precious words without tearing up.  Their words still continue to give me courage and strength and hope.  Their words come at a perfect time because it has “been hard for awhile.”  Our son has really struggled with aggressive, impulsive behavior. It feels like it has been this way the last year.  Hitting and/or yelling are often daily.  I often feel relief once he is in bed.  During the day I can feel like I am high alert trying to stay one step ahead to try to advert meltdowns.  I joke that I often feel like a hostage negotiator or like the guy who goes in a dismantles bombs (don’t know the job title;).  I have to be careful not to get the wires mixed up or this will blow up in my face.

But he is worth it. He deserves a family.  He needs to know he belongs.  He needs to know he is loved. I would say yes all over again.  Thank you God for brave children who inspire me to do what is hard because it is so worth it.