Why did we decide to adopt from Ukraine?

 Some people wondered why we would consider adopting a child, when in Jan. 2001, when we first began discussing it, our only biological child, Ginger, was 15 yrs. old and we had just celebrated 21yrs. of marriage.   We certainly weren't in the "baby season" anymore.  We were enjoying life as parents of a very active teenage girl.   Also, we had arrived at a place of marital independence, so to speak.  We were enjoying more time together as a married couple, and had the freedom to travel and come and go that we didn't have when Ginger was younger.  To other people, I guess, the timing to welcome an addition to our home seemed crazy.  Nevertheless, God was tugging at our hearts and we just had to follow His leading.

God's plan for us to adopt didn't emerge in my mind and heart all at once.  I was basically hardened and closed to the whole idea.  My thinking was that if I had another child, I wanted another biological child.  I was insistent I knew this was God's plan for us.  I just couldn't accept adoption was for me.  It was for someone else.  Other parents tell stories of always knowing they would adopt, or having the desire to adopt all their lives.  Well, this wasn't the case with me.  Never in a million years did I ever dream I would adopt a child.   Now, I had a literal dream in 1997, the kind you have while asleep!  At the time, Ginger was in the 5th grade and things were going pretty good in our lives.  We were able to devote our full attention to our daughter and she was a happy child.  She never lacked for friends and was always involved in some activity that kept us on the road and busy.  The unusual dream I had at that time was about a child named, "Israel", which means "chosen".
 
In the dream, I walked into a room, and there was a group of people standing together forming a large circle.  I walked toward the circle to a woman who held out her arms to me, welcoming me.  As the circle opened up, I saw a little girl in the center, with blonde hair, blue eyes, around the age of 2-3 yrs. old.  She was smiling and all the people were very happy.  The woman excitedly said, "Tammy, this is the child you've been waiting for....this is the child you've always wanted.....Israel!"   And at the time, I'll admit, when I woke up from the dream, I did question what in the world that meant, if anything.  I wondered, "does this mean we're supposed to adopt a child?"  But I thought it with disbelief, like "surely this can't be what the dream meant."  I tried to forget the dream and tried to shake it off, so to speak.  But it affected me profoundly.  I shared the dream with a friend and she said, "Maybe it's not literal, but symbolic about the nation of Israel."  Well, she was wrong!  Adoption was what the dream meant, and "Israel" was symbolic for "a child that is chosen",.... but it wasn't time.  God knew my heart, and He knew I wasn't ready to adopt.  He had to start early with me, slowly watering, softening and quietly planting the seeds of adoption in my heart.  He's such a loving God.  He doesn't rush us when we're not spiritually or emotionally ready for something.  He gently leads us in His perfect timing.

The next year, 1998, God continued speaking to my heart.  Again, even though I had the dream, I was still clueless, and it never really dawned on me God was serious about us adopting a child.   I was watching a program about
a Pro Life ministry that not only ministered to women in Crisis pregnancy situations but also assisted couples with domestic adoption.  I was mostly watching it because of my involvement in Pro Life ministries and having the Pro Life warehouse in our attic for 4 years.   Also, with my second recording bearing a Pro Life theme, I wanted to mail the director some CD's for their ministry.  That's where I was.  I was more concerned with my music ministry than adopting a child.  However, God used my music ministry to attract me to this program.

This page last modified on Sunday, October 14, 2007