Choose Adoption

Tomorrow is a big day. I feel like a kid getting ready for his first day of kindergarten. I've thought about what I will wear, what I need to bring with me and about what others will think of me. I am both nervous and excited and not sure exactly what to expect.

Minhee and I have now been married almost 6 years and over the course of our marriage we have grown more and more excited about making adoption a part of our family make-up. As Christians we know very well that we were children without hope. And yet God in his mercy, and through great personal sacrifice, brought us as sons and daughters into his family. And that truth inspires us to invite other children, though not born to us physically, fully into our family and to love them fully as our own.

At the same time, for as long as I can remember I have held deep passions around the issue of abortion. Most obviously for the unborn children who are left unprotected in our nation and are not given their Biblical and constitutional right to life. But also for the mothers who are left with such an overwhelmingly difficult decision and who are often left feeling that there is no right or winning choice.

And in light of these two things I had an idea a few months ago. What if these two issues got married? It turns out there is a Planned Parenthood clinic within walking distance of our new apartment, what if I make a sign and sit out in front of that location asking some woman to consider allowing us to adopt her baby? What if she was given a winning choice and the chance to be the hero in this crazy situation she finds herself in? What might happen?

As soon as the idea came I knew I wanted to do it. In part because it allows Minhee and me the great privilege of starting a family and in part because it gives me the chance to stand up for these unborn children in a way that juxtaposes the traditional Christian protester, instead speaking a strong word with (I hope) love and compassion. But as we thought about it more the concept wasn't quite as simple and straightforward as we first thought.

Not only does this open us up to adoption of any race or ethnicity, but it also opens us up to more complicated issues. What if there is a developmental problem with the baby? What if there is drug abuse? If some courageous mother accepted this invitation but was carrying a child with these issues, is there any way we could deny her? I hope not. But if there is no saying no, then what might "yes" mean? Minhee and I struggled through these questions together until we were ready to move forward - which is now.

And so tomorrow begins the next chapter in this story as I take the sign that Paul Kahn so patiently and skillfully designed (pictured above) and sit down in front of that Planned Parenthood clinic. I am actually really nervous which doesn't happen much to me, but also very excited to be taking the next step.

I've been really inspired by the support I've received from those of you who know what's going on and have also been asked to keep people up to date with how things are going. So, at least in the near future, I'm going to be posting previews and afterthoughts here on my blog so that those who are interested will know what's happening.

Please pray for Minhee and me and even more for some outstandlingly courageous mother.