The Call to Adoption and Foster Care
By Dr. Page Brooks
Adoption was never a second choice for my wife and me. In fact, it was a first choice, even before we found out we could not have kids of our own.
When my wife and I first married, we talked about adoption. We were serving a church in South Carolina and an opportunity came open for us to do foster care. As we learned about foster care and adoption, the great need for multiracial adoption came to our attention. We felt like we were not giving any preferences for gender or age on our application, so why should we give a preference for race?
Through a series of various situations, and many heartbreaks, we were finally able to adopt our first child, Karis. Karis’ birth mother was Hispanic and her father was African-American. Later we adopted two more children, both African-American. We now have a family of 3 kids: Karis, 8; Alethia, 6; and Josiah, 3.
We are a multiracial family, and proud of it! Yes we get looks from people, and sometimes we even see people talk behind our backs, but we know the need for adoption and foster is greater than the unjust attitudes of people.
At the same time, my wife and I don’t feel like adopting kids is any “less” than having biological kids. One lady told me she was sorry for us when I told her we could not have our own children. I told her we don’t view our situation like that; on the contrary, whether through natural birth or adoption, children are providentially given to us by God one way or the other.
Do not do foster or adopt a child because it’s a fad. Fostering and adoption is a calling, just like any other calling to have children. If you are doing it for any other reason than that God called, you will not make it through the tough situations that come with fostering or adoption.
If you are interested in foster care or adoption, let me encourage you to come to the Equipped to Care conference, November 6-7. The registration link is: http://www.nobts.edu/events/equippedtocare.html.
Dr. Brooks currently serves as Assistant Professor of Theology at NOBTS. He also shepherds the flock of Canal Street Church a Mosaic Community.