How'd you get here from there-part III

Before talking about which country program we chose or how exactly we chose it, I'd like to devote a few words to the actual decision, or call, if you will, we felt to adopt.

Julie got me thinking about this a lot over the past week when she reflected on her own adoptions here.

As I responded to her, it reaffirmed for me that the call to adopt is just that--a call from God. It is a vocation. It is not something to be thought of as a *second class* means of parenting a child. I offered the words of Jaymie Stewart Wolfe, author of The Call to Adoption, who reminded her readers that even Jesus, the quintessential "perfect child" was parented as both a birth child and an adopted son (by his foster father on earth, Joseph). The example of the Holy Family is by no means *second class* and is certainly good enough for us.

Finally, if you feel the Holy Spirit is working on your heart, guiding your family to consider, pray about and discern whether adoption is perhaps on your list of vocations; remember, not everyone, ultimately, is called to adopt. As Catholic Christians, we are all called to be open to life, and that has many facets--adoption is just one of them. After a period of discernment, it may be made perfectly clear that God has different plans for you.

Ultimately, what I believe is important to understand about adoption is that it is not something that people just decide to do for lack of something else to do. Heck, there are plenty of people with birth kids who adopt and plenty of childless couples who never seek adoption. My point is, I truly believe it is a vocation of sorts that people are called to by God. So, if you feel that call (whether you've given birth 10 times or never) God will work on your heart until you find peace with His plan.