Will We Adopt Again?

I'm sure you've noticed that families who adopt tend to do it again, and again, and again...

I'm not going to lie.  It's addicting.  There's something about a child whom you grow to love and adore, knowing that they were without anyone, any love.  It breaks your heart and fills it all at the same time.  Once you have that baby in your arms, it almost kills you to think how many more there are out there.  That could have easily been my baby destined to a life without a family should I have chosen not to go down this path.

I am finding myself becoming an advocate for adoption - something I had never planned.

To be completely honest, when we began this process, it was 99% selfish.  Basically, we wanted a second child and knew there were children all over the world who didn't have a family.  It just made sense.  And I don't think there's anything wrong with that.  But throughout the past 3 years of this process, God has been changing my heart regarding adoption.  Having a Panda in my arms on a daily basis has made the call to care for "the least of these" so much more real and tangible.
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me...Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my  brothers, you did it to me." Matthew 25:35-40

Here's an interesting/disturbing fact: There were 153 million orphans in the world as of 2016.

153 million.

I think we can all agree that one child with no home, love, or parents is one child too many.  What I think happens is we become paralyzed with a number of this size. 153 million! That's beyond me. What can I even do to put a dent in that? And so we leave it to the experts. We leave it to organizations and missionaries and "the people who have been called."

And yet Christians are commanded in the Bible to serve the poor, the orphans, the widow.  That is the call.
Luke 12:48 says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." 

There are so many needs: homelessness, families in poverty, widows needing support, children in need of a steady and reliable mentor, orphans, and so much more. I've been asking myself since we got our little Panda Bear - what is the Lord's will for us next? Are we to go down this path again? There are so many babies in need of a family, of a life, of hope. I can't tell you how many people have told me in the past 6 months, "Oh! I've always wanted to adopt!" I believe God puts that desire in our hearts for a reason.

So to finally answer my question: Will we adopt again? Hmmm... not sure yet.  The Duke and I are constantly revisiting this subject.  At this point in our lives, we have our hands full!  Adopting Panda has been a beautiful, perspective-shifting event in our lives.  I think the Duke and I can agree that our lives have taken a turn from our original "plan."  I'm realizing the Lord calls us to be a part of His plans, and His plans are much bigger, much more challenging and life-altering than our own.  I do know the act of adoption has left its mark on us, and I believe we will be very involved in adoption in the future, however that ends up looking for us.