We had the pleasure today of having lunch with our new church’s pastor and wife. We enjoyed chatting and reminiscing and getting to know each other. And we got to tell Jordan’s adoption story.
Jordan’s referral photo from the orphanage.
Tonight as I was thinking (or washing dishes, which almost amounts as the same thing), I was worrying about whether the truth really comes out when we talk about our son Jordan and his adoption. As we tell the story of how he came to be part of our family, I think that it’s pretty easy to hear how awful other people are to create orphanages and how wonderful we are to adopt.
But that’s not at all what we want to say.
Playing at the river with Carrie.
We want to tell other people about how God walked our sorry hides down the path to Jordan, step by step, until we trusted Him enough to accept the treasure He was handing us in Jordan. When we finally understood, when we finally trusted, we became so excited about God’s gift to us and equally upset about the way orphans are treated… especially God’s children with disabilities.
We want others to see how much value there is in Jordan so that they will also see the value in other people with disabilities. We don’t mind talking about Jordan’s special challenges… because it just broadcasts his worth. Yeah, our little guy is a challenge to feed/get to sleep/communicate with/take out of the house/teach/keep safe/etc… and you know what? He’s more than worth it!
In the cold water with Papa.
Furthermore, I want to shout to everybody that God’s purpose is not thwarted in Jordan, because he has special needs. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.” 1 Cor. 1:27
In God’s eyes, we all have special needs. We all are so inferior to God that we are like infants who can’t understand anything or learn or get things right. Shoot, most of us even have attachment disorders when it comes to our relationship with God.
Wearing Grandpa’s hat
So yeah, Jordan doesn’t talk or understand most speech. He’s four years old, but behaviorally like a 12 month old. (I have a 12 month old… so I know this!) And he learns slowly. But is God’s purpose in Jordan’s life thwarted? Is God’s purpose in all of our lives thwarted by our inferiority to God? No! God’s purpose is accomplished through His power and His ability. He did indeed choose the weak to lead the strong. And I’m grateful for that. I am convinced that God can use both Jordan and I despite our weaknesses and brokenness.
And that’s the truth folks. Jordan is a treasure of infinite value and limitless potential. And we want everybody to know and appreciate him as much as we do. If we tell you our struggles, it’s just to explain how much he’s worth. And we don’t mind encouragement along the way either. We’re just a few of God’s children, living this life one step at a time.
With Grandpa
This is awesome Rachel. Clear and easy to understand and full of truth. Thank you both for bringing this little guy into our family! It so helps us understand Gods love, plan, and purpose in our lives. Dad
Thank you for sharing Rachel!! Truth is always so beautiful!!
this so much puts into words how we feel about our adopted 7 yr old girl – she also has severe special needs – thank you for voicing such truth,each one is of ultimate worth. He can teach us so much thru’ them.
Hallelujah to this post.
We feel the same way about Rex. So many who meet our treasured boy only see what they think he is lacking, what he cannot do, how he complicates things, his many needs, his imperfections… We want them to see his worth and value in this world, the lessons he teaches, the way he works so hard to learn and progress, the fact the he is perfect just the way he is. He’s not a mistake or anomaly, he is exactly who he was intended to be with a path and a purpose among us.
I can tell this comes straight from your heart. Believing the truth you wrote here is a gift of faith from the Father. Thank you for sharing. xoxoxo