My thoughts

When people learn that we are trying to adopt a child with Down Syndrome they always ask.... Why? Why would we want to adopt a child with DS? Why would we want to intentionally adopt a child who will be "so much work" . Someone who may need to be cared for the rest of her life? I have done a lot of soul searching over the last few years and my thought is...... WHY NOT? These children do not deserve to end up in an institution. They do not deserve to miss out on being loved just because they were born with an extra chromosome". None of this is a surprise to God. Read Psalms 139. We are all made JUST the way he meant us to be. When we began our daughters adoption years ago, I was adamant that I did not want to adopt a child with her medical "condition". In fact I told God on more than one occasion that I would not. I must have given Him a good laugh since He knew what was coming. The moment I saw her face EVERYTHING changed. She was mine (ours) no matter what that entailed (and thankfully her medical care has been nothing close to what I had envisioned it to be). I love her with ALL my heart. She is more then I could have ever dreamed of and I cannot imagine my life without her in it. When we began the foster care part of this adoption I had believed that I did not want to adopt a child who had any condition that could be a "lifelong commitment", but I was WRONG!!!!! The MOMENT I saw her face EVERYTHING changed.....again. I fell so deeply in love with her the moment I first saw her face. As we recently learned she was not meant to be our daughter, but God used her to soften my heart in an area where it had been hardened. To open my eyes to children that I may not have considered before. He has used this experience to remind me that He sees value in every life. Even if most of the world does not. To remind me that we ALL deserve to have a family and to be loved, no matter what. He also used the experience to educate me. I read......in fact I read A LOT. I try to learn about things that go on around the world. The plight of these children has really gotten deep into my heart and their value and God's love for them reaffirmed to me. Will we end up adopting a child with Down Syndrome? I don't know. We will just have to wait and see where He leads. Only time will tell what will happen.