When did it start? When did the passion begin for loving the least of these? It's like asking me when I started breathing or eating. It's always been there in a way-kind of core to who I am.
My mom tells me conversations we would have about it when I was younger. I used to cry and pray for hurting children.
BUT there is a moment in time I can point to that the light switch flipped and suddenly life looked entirely different to me.
I was about 14 I guess?? I lived in Germany and had these youth leaders there. They were this precious young couple that served together. We all ADORED them. I, for sure, adored them. They were passionate and fun and full of life.
They did something that changed me forever. They adopted an amazing little boy from Romania.
They saw this little one in need of a family and did something remarkable....they said, "Yes!" They didn't even try to do the biological kid thing.
THEY JUST LOVED HIM!
It was the 1st time it had occurred to me that adoption was about the least of these. It was the first time I got the feeling in my gut that adoption was something God cared about deeply. Something in me responded to that little boy finding a home.
I was home schooled so I ended up bonding with the little guy. I would babysit him on youth leader training trips and stuff. I would play with him and look at him and just adore him... always thinking... where would he be? What if they hadn't said, "Yes?" What would they have missed? Would he have even made it? What about all those sweet little ones they couldn't bring back? Where were they? Would they make it?
In those moments I spent with this precious little toddler from Romania I KNEW that God was telling me to adopt.
It wasn't a question or possibility for me.
It was a deep knowing.
It was clear for me. It became a consistent part of my decision making- even to the point of breaking up with any guy who wasn't open to adopting children.
So when it comes down to it... that's where it all began.
Hugs, Angel