David Leventhal

Missy & I have decided to pursue another adoption – this time a little boy from China. This will bring the total number of kids in our house to 5. Undoubtedly we are going to get the “why” question. So, I figured a small preemptive strike might be helpful for two reasons: (1) it will force me to crystallize my thoughts in a way that is easy to explain & (2) it will allow me to point people to the blog thereby relieving me of having to speak more words throughout my day (cf. Prov. 10:19)

So – in honor of our pursuit of a 5^th child I offer the following 5 reasons (in no particular order) for why we are adopting again:

1. We love kids. Yes, they require a lot of work & resources. Yes, they cause stress & they make a mess. Yes, the add chaos to an already chaotic world. But despite all that the reality is that kids are a gift from God – whether they come through Missy’s womb or through adoption. How do I know this? Two ways: (1) Because God tells me so…if you don’t believe me click HERE & (2) Because I have experienced the blessing that comes from having kids. This might be hard to properly describe but I can say unequivocally that my life is better (in many, many areas) because God has allowed me the privilege of being a dad.
2. Our lives are already chaotic. When you have four kids the truth is that there is always a level of chaos in the house. Some days it’s minor….other days it’s major, but the chaos is always there. What I’ve learned (at least for us) is that as our family has gotten bigger the “chaos impact” of our 2^nd & then our 3^rd & then our 4^th has diminished. It becomes an incremental increase in chaos rather than monumental increase in chaos. And here’s the rub – I’ve looked really hard (trust me…I’ve looked) & I can’t seem to find a single place in Scripture that tells me that God’s plan for my life centers around my comfort. I don’t see where the goal of my life is to try and create a life where I have control over every detail…where no faith is required….where I can manage my days without God. Rather, what I see is God calling me into the chaos to be a light in the darkness. God calls me to be a voice for those who have no voice which leads me to my next reason.
3. Where there is a child without parents then that child is a priority. This might be the biggest reason for me personally. UNICEF estimates that there are 143 million orphans in the world. UNICEF defines an orphan as a child who has lost one or both parents. Within that huge figure is a subset that includes kids who have lost both parents – some estimate it to be 10% – 20% or more of the 143 million figure. Irrespective of what number you land on one thing is true – there are kids out there….lots & lots of kids who have no one to speak up for them, no one to love them, no one to read them books at night, no one to feed them a hot meal, no one to cheer them on, no one to be an advocate, no one to bathe them, no one to hold them when they wake up in the middle of the night because of the thunder, no one to bandage up their wounds, no one to stand up for them when the wicked prey on them & no one to teach them about the beauty of Christ & the glory of the gospel. And though Missy & I cannot personally adopt all of them – we can adopt some of them. And I’d rather move the needle a little than not at all because where there is a child without parents that child is a priority.
4. Adoption is a wonderful way to teach our kids about God’s heart. This is more of a really good side benefit to adoption & not really a primary driver for why we are adopting. There is nothing in life like an object lesson to pull our nose out of a book & allow us to see with our own eyes the truth of something. Adoption is like that for us. We want our kids to know from their earliest memories that being in God’s family means taking care of those who are unable to take care of themselves. We want them to know that people, made in the image of God, have indescribable value – no matter their zip code, the color of their skin, their background or their ability to contribute. Adoption is one of those things that help us teach our kids these realities…it’s not the only way to do this – but it’s one way.
5. We’ve not found a compelling reason to not adopt again. We have room in our house, room in our hearts & a couple of gallons of milk….so if I believe what I said in point 1, 2, 3 & 4 then why wouldn’t we adopt again. And so, will our retirement accounts be smaller than a financial planner might suggest? Will our vacations look different than they used to? Will our resources be furthered diminished through the normal cost of raising another child? Yes, yes & yes…but for us those aren’t reasons to not move forward.

So there you have it. We’d love for you to join us in prayer as we move through this long & arduous process. I’d write more but I’m sure there is some paperwork I should be trying to collect for our dossier!