From the trenches – an inspiring adoption story

Brutally honest about the challenges and joy’s of adoption, Chris Woolley shares their family journey in this extraordinary talk. This is truly inspiring, convicting and gives a solid Biblical perspective for Christians who are considering adoption.

Chris and his wife have 3 biological and 4 adopted children. This talk will take you through some humorous aspects of transracial adoption as well some heart-wrenching realities.

Listen to this whether you consider adoption or not and magnify your view of God and the Good News of Jesus.

Why we adopted – Chris Woolley

The talk is structured around the following 5 Biblical truths:

• God has designed marriage for redemption
• God sovereignly gives children
• God desires our death (to ourselves and to sin)
• God sees the heart and fashions the whole
• God loves sinners to the uttermost

In the home stretch of our second adoption, this talk helped us realign ourselves with a Biblical perspective on transracial adoption.

Why do we adopt?

There are many compelling reasons to adopt. To list only a few:

South Africa has 3.7 million orphans facing desperate circumstances. Outside the safety of a home they are neglected, alone and become victims of social evils including human trafficking and prostitution.

The best orphanage is not a home. The best caregivers are not parents. Fellow orphans are not siblings. Adoption makes all the difference to that one child.

Some couples face infertility, as we did, and adoption offers a way to be parents despite the inability to have biological children.

As opposed to abortion, what alternative other than adoption can Christians propose for mothers unable to care for their children?

Caring for orphans and the fatherless – exemplified most profoundly through adoption – reflects the Father heart of God. As the brother of Jesus makes clear,“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.“ (James 1:27)

Even more profoundly, through adoption we reflect what God did for us through Jesus when we believe and trust in him. Before the creation of the world it was in His mind to adopt us through the work of the cross. “In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:4b-6).

Is this why we adopt? Yes and no.

These are objective truths. They only become personal when they settle in our minds and convict our hearts. But even then it does not necessarily move our will.

What ultimately moved us to adopt?

A conviction, solidified over time, that this was part of God’s chosen purpose for our lives. If this is His will for us, then why would we want to be anywhere else?