We are always getting asked by friends, family, strangers, etc. how the adoption is going. People are so kind and so caring, and we love that our journey has become a group effort so to speak. We love how involved our community is in our lives, and it is truly a blessing to us in every way!
Because of that, I wanted to update everyone that we are now #27 on the waiting list! We are thrilled by the movement that we've seen this year! If you remember, we started out as #33 in September and didn't see any movement until January. Since January, we've moved up six whole spots! How exciting! It makes me want to run out and buy some paint and get started on our nursery!
In the spirit of openness, I wanted to give everyone just a glimpse into what adoption is to us.
Adoption is...
Plan A: We chose to adopt before biological children. All adoptive families come to adoption differently, but for the Morales family, we wanted to be able to throw all of our time, energy, money, and love into our adoption before having biological children. There's no right or wrong way to adopt a child, but for us it's our first choice and our Plan A.
Sanctifying: I say often that God took the most controlling person He could find and called her to something that she has no control over. Obviously I'm talking about myself. Our adoption journey has been one of the most sanctifying experiences of my life - and we're really still at the beginning!
Messy: On Christmas Eve of this last year, I sat on the floor of my parent's house and bawled my eyes out. My whole family was together, and Jason's dad and step mom were with us too. I just kept looking around at all of the family we were surrounded by and I couldn't help but think about where Judah was. Is he born yet? If so, is he alone? Is he in an orphanage? If so, is he okay there? What has he gone through? What has happened in his little life to cause him to be an orphan? Adoption is messy, it's very very messy.
Exciting: I constantly have dreams and daydreams about holding my baby for the first time. I know that most moms-to-be do the same thing, no matter if you're having a child biologically or through adoption. But it doesn't matter how you become a mama, dreaming of holding your child for the very first time is exciting all the same!
Hard: From the moment we turned in our application to adopt, things got very real for me. The idea that I could become a mom within the next year to five years is insane. Sometimes I feel like I should just be graduating from high school, but alas here I am, married and waiting to become a mommy. I won't lie, adoption is hard. The paperwork is hard. The home study is hard. The waiting is hard. The dealing with 1,000 different government entities is hard. Did I mention that the waiting is hard?
But I also know that adoption is...
Worth the wait: I know that the moment I lay eyes on a photo of Judah, all of the waiting will be totally worth it. Then we'll begin a new waiting process - the process of waiting to bring him home. And that day when we descend from the escalator at the Birmingham airport holding our boy, every tear I've cried, every nightmare I've had, every aching pain I've felt in my chest will be 110% worth it.
A calling: I used to look at people who moved overseas to do missions and think to myself, "How in the world can they do that?" I didn't understand how someone could pack up their whole life and move across the world. I didn't know how they could say goodbye to their families, friends, and the life they're familiar with. But I get it now. We have had people tell us the same things - "I just don't know how you do it," or "I couldn't wait for 3-5 years for a baby," but the truth of the matter is that we don't know how we're doing it either. We just are. And we are because God has called us to. To not adopt would be living in disobedience of God. So it may be hard and it may be messy, but it's also worth it, exciting, and sanctifying because God has called us to make it our Plan A.
I'd like to encourage you today that as you're reading this, know that God has a calling for you. He created us all for His purpose, and we each have a unique calling on our life. Your calling may be adoption, it may be moving over seas, or it may be just walking across the street and introducing yourself to your new neighbors. Whatever it is, I am confident that God will sustain you and provide you the strength you need to run full force into the calling He has created you for!
Happy Friday, Happy Valentine's Day, and may you have just the most wonderful weekend!
