What COVID-19 Teaches Us About Adoption
Every crisis gives us an opportunity to grow.
COVID-19 is no exception. In the space of a few weeks or months, the current pandemic forced us to make drastic changes in almost every area of life. Cities and even countries shut down overnight, and organizations closed at least temporarily.
So—in addition to COVID-19 actually affecting adoption processes—what can COVID-19 teach us about adoption?
3 quick ways adoption and COVID-19 are similar—
1. Flexibility is key.
Very little about adoption is predictable.
Timelines change. Requirements change. Expectations change. Knowing this doesn’t make the experience any easier, but choosing to be flexible can make the adjustment process easier. COVID-19 is teaching us that flexibility, patience, and good problem-solving skills are important for parents.
Learning to pivot can be the difference between giving up and moving forward.
“There are going to be hiccups and things are going to go wrong. Don’t worry when they do. Trust God and do your best to relax and go with the flow.” —Megan Kaeb, adoptive mom
2. Trust is better than control.
The same God Who called you to adopt can be trusted when everything feels out of control.
As human beings, we prize predictability, especially where our kids and loved ones are concerned. (And that’s understandable.) But God calls us to trust Him through all of life’s unknowns, including COVID-19 and including adoption. One quick way to gauge our trust vs. control is to observe how desperate we feel when life isn’t following the script we’ve written. Desperation is a sign that we’re still trying to control the results.
Trust looks like calm confidence.
“Our family has been able to see the Lord at work throughout the adoption process. Our kids have seen Him answer prayers and move mountains. It has been an amazing faith builder for them. We have had to completely rely on the sovereignty of God throughout this journey. We are blessed that the Lord chose us for this calling.” —Nails family, Lifesong matching grant recipients
3. Children still need families.
Every child deserves the love of a family.
With or without a pandemic, children are profoundly impacted by growing up alone. In fact, for the child growing up without parents, the world always feel unwelcoming, unsafe, and unpredictable. Any uncertainty we feel right now due to COVID-19 is what kids without families feel all the time.
If God calls you to open your arms and home to a child in need, step out in faith, trusting that—with or without COVID-19—He will lead the way, providing for all your needs as you trust Him.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).
May God give us the courage to be flexible, trust Him, and welcome kids in need.
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