Inspirations on Adoption (Part 2)

by Shelley McCraw

Over and over the Bible gives examples of God stirring hearts to action. “And the spirit of the Lord began to stir him (Samson).” The book of Ezra says, “He stirred the heart of Cyrus.” God stirred the hearts of the priests, the Levites, and the leaders to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. Stir is defined as: to rouse to activity; evoke strong feelings in; to call forth. There was little doubt that God was the one stirring something deep within me. Ignoring that stirring wasn’t possible. I felt an overwhelming responsibility to do something beyond just supporting my friends in their journey.

Not long after, a need for a temporary placement for a two year old was dropped directly in my path. I’m not going to say it was a “Paul on the road to Damascus” experience, but it was close. It was a foster situation that would last for a few months which seemed like the perfect first step in an unknown journey. After a brief family discussion, everyone was on board and we said, “yes.”

As I look back, I have to chuckle. I’ve come to understand this was God’s way of gently leading because my initial “yes” wasn’t to a plan that was clearly laid out. You see, I am a bit of an over-thinker. Almost to the point of sabotaging a simple decision because of the endless possibilities each decision offers, both good and bad. I believe if God had laid out the whole plan, with all that was on the horizon, I probably would have talked myself into a definite “no.” It would have been too much all at once. Isaiah 40:11 says, “He gently leads those that have young.” Knowing our lives were about to change, I had to choose to trust His gentle nudging. This meant I had to overcome my overthinking and my fear of the unknown. He gently led me to this first step which built my faith to trust Him with all the next steps of this journey.