A NOTE TO THE READER: This is one post in a series of posts that will share the story of how I came to know and grew to love my daughters who were adopted at fourteen years old, mere days before they aged out of the adoption system. It does not reflect my feelings now. If you are joining me in the midst of the series, you can access the whole story by clicking on The Silent Months on the top menu bar of my blog. I choose to share my story to address a topic that is taboo in the adoption community. I share it to normalize the feelings that so many feel and yet are too ashamed to share. I share it to provide support to those who feel alone because there’s a big white elephant in the room, and no one can talk about it. I share it in support of adoption, in support of every single precious child waiting for a family, every one of which deserves to be loved and is lovable, every single one. Why can’t we talk about it? The feelings are real. The process of attachment can be easy and it can be painful, and the more we support parents who experience the painful side of adoption, the more we help the children. There are far too many disruptions, especially of older children, and if we as a community can come to see the feelings and the process as normal, perhaps we can provide support to those families and in doing so, help the children. Adoption is rooted in pain and loss, and often the process is painful. AND it’s okay. Before you offer your criticism, please read, Eliza Today, A Preface, and God’s Heart and Workers for His Harvest Field .

Many of you have been aware of a painfully long silence on my blog.

For the most part, I have been very quiet about my silence, primarily because before I opened my heart to the world, I wanted to be certain that what I had to share could be presented in an honest and positive light, with a pure heart before God, and in an earnest spirit that would be helpful to others, and not in any way discouraging to those who are considering adoption, and, last but certainly not least, in a way that would protect our daughters’ privacy. All these things were extremely important to me because God’s heart is for the orphan. and so ought ours to be.

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I have decided to share our story because I know our family is not alone in the struggles we’ve experienced. The pain and hardship of adoption are often hushed and only discussed in secret circles, while fairy tale blogs paint dreamy pictures of warm fuzzy feelings and long awaited dreams come to fruition. Yet the struggles are real and are an integral and all too frequent reality of redeeming the lives of these precious children.

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The secrecy doesn’t help. It only further isolates those walking an already lonely road and creates a shame that has no place in this incredible ministry. Following God’s calling in our lives is hard sometimes, and we fall beneath the weight of it. And it is okay. Jesus fell beneath the weight of the cross, and Simon carried it for Him. Was His falling enshrouded in shame?

Absolutely not. God often calls us to do things we cannot do in our strength, and yet we do not rest in knowing He is strong in our weakness. We expect of ourselves what He knows we can not do alone. When we suffer and break, loving and pouring out our lives for the fatherless, shame and secrecy have no place amidst the pain.

Shame is for those who fail to follow God’s calling in their lives. Shame is for those who see and do not act. Shame is for those who close their doors and homes and refuse to welcome the least of these. Shame is not for those who try and falter beneath the weight of loving these hurt children.

From it’s very beginnings, adoption is rooted in pain and loss. We who step out in faith to meet the needs of these precious abandoned children, willingly choose to carry their heavy crosses of pain and loss. Sometimes the road is beyond hard, and yet we are called to care for these dear children who are so very close to the heart of God.

There is no place for shame and secrecy in doing God’s work and sometimes falling beneath its weight.

Today I saw a post from a dear Facebook friend and I share it with you here.

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I am very down today….. I know it’s only been three months, but I am beginning to wonder if it will ever get better. The cruelty toward her little sister and outright rage when she is called to the carpet for it are wearing on me. I am sad to admit that today I don’t like my daughter very much. Can you give me some encouragement?

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Over the next days, I will begin to tell the story of the very dark valley we walked through last summer and well into the winter. It will take several posts, but I feel called to share it now that I have come to understand it and to feel God’s merciful healing in my life, in our family’s life.

We are the body of Christ, we, His hands and feet. We are broken and human, mere earthen vessels made in God’s image, and yet He does great things through us if we let Him.

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Oh that we would trust Him through the valleys to do the miraculous in our lives!

Blessings!

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9 Comments on God’s Heart and Workers For His Harvest Field

  1. God knows your heart and your strength. I will be praying for peace, comfort, guidance and rest in Him for you and your family. I love your honesty! And you encourage and inspire me to open my heart and home to our Heavenly Father!! I am at the beginning stage of trying to adopt a little one that has been in foster care. Tonight we hit a road block, but you always point your readers to the Father. Thank you so much for the reminder!!!

  2. I too have adopted two special needs children. I appreciate your thoughtful, prayerful decision to address the issues with candor. I have always thought – to paint the adoption picture in anything less than total truth is to do a disservice to prospective adoptive families. People need to have realistic expectations of the joys and struggles they are facing, Adoption is not for everyone and honest information will help people make informed decisions, avoiding heartbreak and disrupted adoptions.

  3. Diane, I am looking forward to reading the upcoming diaries. I know I am not there physically with your family but I do pray for you often. Your family comes into my mind at random times and I always say a quick prayer when it does. I am in awe of what you and Mark have done. I have 3 kids, a full time job, and sometimes I feel like I just cant handle everything. Sometimes I just want to give up…but as a mom you just don’t. I am inspired by you. Sending much love to you.

  4. I am excited that someone is finally addressing the elephant in the room. I have a feeling I will identify all too well with what you will write. Still in the valley myself. Wondering where a safe place would be to turn. Don’t know of any yet.

  5. I have missed your blog, and look forward with hope to reading your story. Encouragement that our family will survive is really needed now. I never expecting adopting an older child to be an easy thing….but I never expected it to be so difficult, so prolonged and how much her arrival and presence affect our other daughters. There has been no easy answer for us. I am totally dependent on God for a miracle. Waiting is hard. My prays will continue for your family and all the others who are living this life.

    • Dear Cathy,
      I have missed writing. There’s so much I want to write, so much I long to share about about God’s provision and grace through the hard. And I want to share the pain and beauty of it all. Somehow I can’t seem to find a balance of what’s safe to write and what isn’t. Yet I believe sharing the real and true is the best way to help the orphans. There is no peace or beauty in hiding and enduring in secrecy the hard things and failing to share the lovely too. I will write again. I know I will.
      Praying for your family.
      Xo

      • Diane,

        Thank you for your prayers too. Balance is an issue for me, as well. I have to be careful not to share to much or too often about the things going on in our family. I don’t even try with people who haven’t lived this life….and those that are dealing with hard things can bear stand to listen to another family’s struggle. I want to encourage other friends, but there are days/weeks/months now, that I can’t honestly tell them that “This too shall pass….” I do see that our situation changes a bit from time to time, but again….still waiting on a miracle! I appreciate your caring and wise words. I know you “get it”….

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