Interview with an Adoptive Mom - Part 2

Happy weekend my friends!! Here is the rest of yesterday's interview with Katherine.

How many children do you have? How many are adopted? How many are biological?

We are blessed with 14 children; seven boys and seven girls. Three came by birth and eleven through adoption.

What are the unique challenges to having both biological and adopted children in the same family?

No matter the age or method by which a child enters the parent’s home they come as strangers and must be ‘learned’. It takes effort to get to know your child and to teach/train them in the ways of the Lord and your family.It may take time for them to adapt to or embrace your ‘family-isms’.

The family as it was will change into a different kind of same.The challenges of bonding the hearts of old and new siblings is work as well. Things get broken, birth-orders are changed, mom and dad’s time is divided more, all must be shared, and some children are just down right rebellious to parental authority causing havoc in the home.

The advantage to already having children in the home is they help to ‘show’ the new child(ren) the ways of the family. They set an example that even a child who does not understand English yet can follow giving them quicker assimilation into the family.

At what age did your child(ren) showing more interest in their adoption story?

Our older adopted children have always enjoyed hearing their story of how they came into our family. The two we adopted as toddlers were around five when they became really interested in their story.

Our children who’s heart is the Lord’s love to hear how the they came into our family understanding that is was God‘s plan to give them a future with Him.Our unsaved children reject that it was a good plan but are fine with being in our home.

What would you tell someone who is considering adoption but is struggling with the “what if’s.” (IE) What if I cannot love this child or what if my child rebels? Etc.

I believe the ‘what if’s’ are nothing but a stalling tactic. If you are called by God to bring an orphan into your home then you are to obey God and not fear what ‘man or child’ will do to you.

Yes, there are ‘horror’ stories. But there are many success stories too!!

We have ten children who walk with the Lord. Seven of them had never heard the Gospel before coming home into our home.Only four of our children reject the Lord (some would call it RAD) and yes, they are a challenge.

Our calling is to serve the Lord how He declares and to be faithful to Him in our actions, speech, and thoughts regardless of the children He gives us.

We believe, love is an action not a feeling, biblical disciple will cause any child to ‘stand down’ if done faithfully, and the Word with prayer is the power and bond to keep the family steady on its course no matter the challenges or trials.

How has adoption changed you?

From the inside out!It has been heart-wrenching at time to see the depths of our sin and that of our children, birth and adopted. It was very humbling to realize we did not know all there was to parenting though we had raised three children from birth.

We have truly begun to understand God’s sovereignty and it has brought us to a greater understanding that His ways are higher than ours. The Lord sovereignly designed our family so that as ’iron sharpens iron’ each of us would grew more and more into His likeness.

Adoption has helped us to understand that our outlook on life and the plans that we had established are not necessarily what the Lord had in store for us or our children.

We have been learning to really trust the Lord for plans, expectations, and goals as a family and as individuals.The changes have not always been welcome or painless but the person that each of us has become is worth all the trials and tribulation.

Thanks again Katherine for sharing your heart with us!!