Thank You, I'll take two, no, four, no six to stay!

This weekend was Memorial Day. My wife and I took the opportunity to go and see my parents (and eat their food.) We also went to the baseball field and watched my nephew play baseball.

While we were there, an individual seated in front of me initiated a conversation about adoption. You see, there are two individuals in our extended family that are adopted. (Who they are is not important.) This individual was amazed that a person would open their home, and their life, to a child that was "not their child." "How can you do that?" she asked. That question prompted me to tell her about my friends in Oklahoma.

The husband in this family is a professional who chose to leave the corporate world and open his own business. The wife has an advanced degree in veterinary medicine.

About twelve years ago, my friends decided to take twin boys into foster care in their home. They found what I have always suspected. As they cared for these boys, they also loved these boys. My friends decided to adopt the twin boys into their family. This family went from a family of two to a family of four overnight.

Several years later, they took two more boys (also twins) into their home. I think she knew at that point that this was not a temporary solution, but a permanent one. I am not sure that he knew,(I'm sure she didn't tell him) but it was quickly apparent to those of us who are lucky enough to be their friends that this was a permanent situation. Two parents, and four sons. The family of four was now a family of six.

Five years ago, just when my friend though everything was quiet, his wife said something like this. "Honey, the agency called today. There is another set of twins, this time a brother and sister, and the agency wants to know if we would, if we might, uh, you know, take them temporarily...what do you think?" I don't know all that he thought, but I think he knew that if they said yes, it wouldn't be temporary. After all, he had seen this before. My friend didn't necessarily want more children, and I think that's understandable. After all, two parents and four boys is a large family. And then it happened...he saw the brother and sister. He might have been able to say no before he saw them, but not after.

For the record, I saw my friends within the last thirty days. All of the children were at the vet clinic. Just for fun, I asked her if she would take more children, under the right circumstances. She didn't hesitate before saying "absolutely I would, but don't tell my husband."

We will never know what the future would have held if my friends had not adopted these children. I know this, though. The entire family, two parents, five handsome boys and one beautiful little girl, will all be better off because my friends said "yes." Not just the children, but them for sure. Not just the parents, but certainly them as well. When you ask them how they could open their home to these children, they would answer "How could we do anything else?"

And we are better for their choice. All of us who know them...who are privileged to share their (sometimes hectic) lives. If you know me, you know who I am speaking of. If you don't, I hope you know a family like this. A family who thinks more about what they can do for others than what it will cost. Put that family into this story.

Do you remember the individual at the ball park? She asked "How can you open your home, and your life, to a child that is not yours?" My friends would tell you, if you were to ask them, that the only way is to close your eyes. Because if you see the need, they would say, you can't help but help. And the child that is "not yours" becomes "yours" very quickly.

My friends are not perfect, and they will be embarrassed when they read this. My friends look like Jesus. After all, aren't we all adopted into God's family, through Jesus? We were not his, and became his when we chose him. A little different from my friends, who chose the children. God invites us to choose him. How can God open his home to children who aren't naturally his? I think if you were to ask him, he might just answer "How could I do anything else?" What a great family...what a great God!