Support

Support – verb, to keep from falling, to help, to back a cause, to serve.

Sometimes along the journey of adoption support is having a friend to say “I don't fully understand what you are going through but I am praying for you.” Sometimes it means just sitting back and listening to a rant about some aspect of the journey. The adoption process is a lot more like a life journey than a pregnancy journey. All three have a definitive start, but a pregnancy normally has a 9 month term and you can lay a path, plan the dates, know when to have a bag packed for the end result. Not so with life or an adoption journey. You have a start, but show me someone who when they start life's journey or an adoption journey who can even give a somewhat firm answer to what date these journeys would end. We started the journey of growing our family in May, 2008 and almost a year later in February, 2009 we started our adoption journey. We were told when we completed our paperwork and orientation that once approved we would be looking at anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Now as I write this we have been on the path of adoption for almost 2 years, have been approved and paper pregnant for 14 months and our 4th Christmas season since beginning our journey to grow our family, it becomes harder each year. It's not anyone's fault, life goes on and others see their families growing or see the growth in a pregnancy with a defined date it becomes hard to not get mad at God and can become difficult to be around those whose families are growing because we love them and are happy for them and are glad for the joy of another baby to spoil but still mourn our loss and do not want to rain on their parade as it were. Now back to the support part. (I should be a preacher the way I chased that rabbit trail.) When you've seen a friend who is going along the path of adoption, remember that it has as many ups as it does downs. Sometimes the better thing to say is “I'm praying for you,” because with a domestic adoption, generally “anything new on the adoption” is “We haven't heard anything, still waiting.” On another note, we have added a donation button to the top right corner of the blog. It's setup through Paypal so it is secure. It doesn't require a Paypal account to use. Do not feel obligated to do anything but we wanted to give the option for those who felt led to aid. We look forward to the day that we can say, “We met the birth mother!!! We have 'x' amount of time before the baby God has for us is here.” The best way to be supportive is to pray without ceasing, love unconditionally and follow James 1:19.

Little Leonard's Daddy

James 1:19
King James Version (KJV)
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.