Today we celebrated the accomplishments of our graduating seniors at church. They are stepping into a new phase of life - going from the old, familiar ways of doing things into the new, the unknown. For some the unknown will be college, for others basic training and for others...undecided. No matter where they end up, life as they've known for the past 18 years will be different and more will be expected. All must decide if life beyond the familiar is a risk worth taking.

While I am far beyond my high school years, the same question applies to me today. Is the risk worth taking?

Many have asked why adopt? The root thoughts behind that question usually are....you have three children of your own - three educations to finance, mouths to feed, bodies to clothe. You could have more little ones, if you wanted. International adoptions are expensive. And, all of these concerns are valid.

Adoption carries a level of risk - Who will be adopt? Are we fully prepared? What could his/her medical condition(s) be? Can we handle that? How will our family dynamics change? Etc. Etc. The answer to most of these questions is "unknown" but we are no different than the seniors that we honored today.  We, like them, have to decide if the risk is worth taking.

As a family, we have had a heart for orphans in China - stemming all the way back to a high school civics class where I'd first learned about China's one child policy....and its impact on Chinese culture. Our plan had always been to have two biological children and then adopt - that was until we had twins :)! Adoption plans halted for a while until we had the opportunity to travel to China in April to volunteer at an orphanage. We took this time to again think and pray about an international adoption.

Almost from the moment we set foot into Shepherd's Field Children's Village, we knew that for us.....adoption was a risk worth taking.  The unknown will always be there.....but so will God's soverignty.