To Love and Be Loved

The Keith Family Adoption Blog

“To Love and Be Loved” or the Speech That Shook Our World

1010056_10201695932150777_434645749_n“But what does God say to us? He says: ‘Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you. I have carved you in the palm of my hand.’ We are carved in the palm of His hand; that unborn child has been carved in the hand of God from conception and is called by God to love and to be loved, not only now in this life, but forever. God can never forget us.  I will tell you something beautiful. We are fighting abortion by adoption…”  ~Mother Teresa at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast

This speech was the beginning of a call in the life of our family.  Jeff and I heard it for the first time last summer, sitting on our back porch together.  We didn’t say much about it that day, but just kind of chewed on the many things she said, sorting out what we agreed with and what we didn’t.  The next morning, as is our custom, we talked on the phone while he drove in to work.  The thing that resonated in both our souls from this speech was two-fold.  First of all, if we say we are pro-life, are we willing to put our money where our mouth is?  Are we willing to say, “Your child is not unwanted.  I want your child?”  Second of all, Jesus said that if we do it to the least of these, we do it to him…  Doesn’t it stand to reason that if we deny the least of these, we also deny him?  If we feel the tug of God on our hearts to share our home with a fatherless child, and we ignore it, because our life is pretty darn good as is, are we in effect telling Jesus that we prefer status quo to his plan?

Weighty things, these, for a seven a.m. phone call.

It didn’t take long for us to know that God was indeed calling us to adopt.  The question at that point was, “How?”  Foster care is cheaper, let’s do that!  Nope.  In the way that we always do, we both knew separately before we ever talked that foster care wasn’t the right option for us.  Ukraine?  My friend adopted from Ukraine.  My other friend is from Ukraine.  It MUST be Ukraine!  Nope.  I was slow to move away from that one, but we both agreed in time that Ukraine wasn’t the right option either.  China? Special needs?  No, there’s no way.  China is expensive!  It’s on the other side of the world!  And special needs?  Are you kidding me?  Oh, wait…  What is that light in my husband’s eye?  What is that whisper I feel in my heart?  And why are those almond-shaped eyes suddenly making my heart skip a beat? Yep.  God’s plans are not our plans, and his ways are not our ways, but they are perfect.

As of Sunday, Father’s Day, June 15, 2014, we turned in our application to adopt a special needs child from China with Lifeline adoption agency.

Pray with us, rejoice with us as we bring our daughter home to love and to be loved.

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2 comments for ““To Love and Be Loved” or the Speech That Shook Our World

  1. Sara Walker
    July 16, 2014 at 1:20 pm

    :) You both have so much love to give. Any child will be lucky to have you as parents!

    • jlkeith78@gmail.com
      September 24, 2014 at 12:42 am

      Thank you so much! Sorry I didn’t see your comment until today!

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