A Journey of Faith

I was chatting with a friend the other day.  We haven’t talked much lately, as our lives seem to be pushing us faster in different directions.

We were talking about faith.

I view each of our children as a journey of faith. Some journey’s are more of a struggle than others.

David for example.  Everyday that David is in our lives is a journey of faith.  Why does he do the things that he does?  Why did God choose to bless David with these conditions?

David was brought into our family for a reason. Sure, we chose him. We chose to adopt him and bring him into our home.  We knew beforehand that he had special needs.

Our Journey has a beginning.  I don’t think that we have reached the mid point of the Journey yet.

Is it possible that David was brought into our family to teach us something?

What can be learned from the sneaking and stealing behaviors?  From the lies?  From the distrust?  From the verbal barrage that occurs when he gets angry?

Tolerance?  Compassion?  or something more?

I don’t pretend to have the answers.  Each person in my family has to look into their own heart for that answer.

Maybe David was meant to live with us for a period, so that we could prepare him for the next era in his life.  Maybe he was meant to live with us for a period to prepare us for the next era in ours.  I don’t know.

I have to believe that there is a purpose behind this.

Someone asked me if I would make the same decision to adopt David if I knew beforehand where we would be today.  There isn’t an easy answer to that question.  Would I put up with the behaviors?  Would I put up with the lies?

Yes, I believe I would.  He is worth it.  Everyone is deserving of a family.  I think that those who have reactive attachment disorder, autism or any of a host of other blessings are just as deserving of a family as a child without those blessings.

We let people into our hearts for a reason.  Can I name a specific reason for letting David into ours?  No.  It just felt right.  It felt like it was meant to be.

Parenthood is a lifestyle choice that I would gladly make again.