CHRISTIAN ADOPTION: Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

Written by Deborah.

10.27.04

In order to bake a cake that rises, certain ingredients are necessary.

Eggs, baking soda, baking powder, yeast pr other rising ingredients are required.

If one ingredient is used without the presence of another, the cake will not rise to its fullest capacity.

It’s the combination of particular ingredients and their chemical reactions with one another, with the application of heat, that causes the cake batter to rise.

It's the ingredients PLUS the chemistry that brings about the desired results.

When I was growing up, every weekend morning, my father wanted the same breakfast. My stepmother dutifully prepared scrambled eggs, salsa, a breakfast meat, a cup of milky coffee in a glass mug, and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (because it’s the cheesiest!)

While living with my mother, I'd often refer to that tasty macaroni and cheese. One day, my mother decided to make Kraft Macaroni & Cheese for a surprise. But the surprise was hers, because instead of reading the directions on making instant macaroni and cheese, she tried to make a roux or a cheese sauce out of the mix. She experientially knew how to make a cheese sauce from scratch, and presumed it applied to the instant process. Her sauce failed, because the powdered cheese mix wouldn't dissolve in warm milk. The dry cheese ingredient must be added to the hot, cooked, starchy macaroni along with a pat of butter. It's the order, the combination and their chemical reaction to one another in the pan that makes the cheese sauce. What my mother, unintentionally produced was a globby cheese mess.

There's an order and a process of adding and mixing. Chemical reactions are needed to produce the desired result.

In Christian Adoption, there are necessary ingredients to reach a desired result. From my experience in Christian Adoption, I’ve found the following ingredients to be the most helpful.

A confidence in God’s love for you and your spouse.

A confidence in God’s willingness to forgive all our sins—no matter what we’ve done.

A confidence in God’s ability to bring to pass the seemingly impossible.

PRAYER.

EXPECTATION.

PRAYER FOR OTHERS.

LETTING GO of trying to figure it out .

FORGIVING yourself.

FORGIVING your spouse.

FORGIVING God for what your mind perceives as being unfair.

Willingness to exert effort in the adoption process.

Taking care of physical details.

Providing an answering machine and/or voice mail for contact purposes.

Answering the phone when it rings.

Checking and reading email.

Maintaining an earnest desire to adopt.

Refuting a “good-will ambassador” adoption perspective.

Choosing a flexible perspective about adoption; adoption is full of compromises.

Keeping the ultimate goal in mind: adoption of a child, not an entire birth family (if you get that too, it's a bonus.)

LETTING GO of a time frame mindset.

LETTING GO of child gender.

Those that have successfully adopted, that have gone before those that are waiting, would endorse this list of ingredients. Christian Adoption is a journey of growth and life changes. If you find yourself lacking some of these important ingredients—ask God to help you and then follow His guidance. If you want to talk to someone about missing ingredients or tainted ingredients—contact Christian Adoption or reach out to other Christian Adoption couples.

All of us have processed through this ingredient list to a greater or lesser degree, so you're not alone.

All of us face challenges from day to day that can steal our peace and/or rock our world.

All of us cope with mental, emotional, and physical obstacles.

The key ingredient to our Christian Adoption success, is to keep pressing on.

We press on as we seek God’s guidance. We press on to understand God's Word. We press on as we check our personal ingredient list for successful living.

Baking ingredients are needed for a cake.

Boxed ingredients must be added in a particular order to make Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

God’s ingredients are necessary for a successful Christian Adoption.

Let the additions begin!

For more information please read Bailey.

We encourage you to follow God's loving guidance.

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A Christian ministry helping birth parents & Christian couples for over 14 years!

1.800.277.7006 620.251.4405 adoption@christianadoption.com

Deborah S. Niles P.O. Box 243 Coffeyville, KS 67337

We are not an adoption agency, we are not registered, we are not licensed, and we are not professional counselors.