Happy Easter from all of us here at Lifetime Christian Adoption! We think of you as we prepare our hearts for Easter celebrations this weekend. We know holidays can spark mixed feelings for people waiting to adopt.
Holidays can be so bittersweet when you’re hoping and praying for something as important and meaningful as adopting a child. No matter the phase you’re in with your adoption process, we understand the mixed ways a holiday, like Easter, can hit hopeful adoptive parents. Sometimes, it may seem as if adoptive parents are expected to be stoic or almost neutral to the ups and downs of hoping to adopt.
Walking through this path as a Christian may feel like added pressure to “wait well” when it just feels hard or confusing some days. Even with a strong faith, waiting to grow your family, and trusting God’s way and timing and provision along the journey, you’re still human. Adding a child to your life is a good dream, and following a call to adoption is definitely a God-sized dream. Yet, with His awesome plans, we can only move forward with what we know in our limited view as humans. The real emotions, questions, and experiences you’ll have through this process are all a part of your story.
It’s comforting to remember that even Jesus asked for his cup of suffering to be removed. He was both man and God—and the human in Jesus didn’t want to go through the path that God would take him to fulfill his promise and plan. Yet, in faith, Jesus surrendered to wanting God’s will, not his own. And while your “cup” may not be quite as heavy as the one that Jesus carried, it may still feel like more than you can bear at times. If we take a cue from the human side of Jesus, then when God doesn’t remove our cup, we go back to prayer, resubmitting our hearts to his plan, waiting to see how He will work it out or reveal the next direction or step.
Mark 14:36 says: “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Be encouraged! Jesus’ plea didn’t change the amazing outcome God had planned all along. He left us a beautiful example of honest prayers and how to surrender back to faith, even when it hurts.
If you’re feeling that tension between your humanity and trusting in faith, we hope this Easter season will remind you of the love, grace, and mercy God gave to all who believe. His mercies are new every morning! He is faithful in completing what He starts! He has good things for those He’s called into the family of Christ! But until you get to see what God sees, it’s all about waiting, trusting, and remaining obedient to the last thing you were asked to do.
We can’t wait to see what God has ahead in your personal adoption story! May God use this Easter to help you remember his nearness and good plans for you. However you celebrate, we hope you’ll be extra aware of all the ways Easter points us back to faith…and all the possibilities that come with trusting in God.
The Hope, Love, and Joy of the Easter Promise
On this and every Easter, we rejoice with thanks for the renewal and hope given by God through the Risen Christ. Thus, we’re called to live a reflection of Jesus’ life: to be prayerful in gratitude, to lift others up in love, practice genuine faith, and determine God’s will as our own. Living as Christians means that we believe that God sent His only Son to be sacrificed for us and raised from the dead to free us of our bond in sin and to provide us eternal life with Him.
“Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”
-1 Peter 1:21
It is through Jesus Christ that God’s covenants have been proven to all believers.
Whether you’re walking through a time of celebration or trial, know that God’s promises are for you. Christ died for you and was born again for you. Even if you were the only person saved, God would have sent His Son for you. He loves you and desires good things for you, in heaven and on earth. When you practice your faith, you declare God’s promises through His Son’s journey on the cross. You confirm Christ’s life was meant so that you would walk with Him in hope, love, and joy.
May the hope, love, and joy of the Easter promise be yours today, and forever.
A Springtime Reflection of Hope
With spring here, we notice how nature also goes through these seasons of waiting for the next step, season, or change.
Did you know a butterfly is most vulnerable right before its first flight?
As the butterfly emerges from the protection of the cocoon, it dangles exposed while its wings prepare for flight.
It waits in confident hope of what’s ahead.
Easter is a time to reflect on the tenderness of hope, a time when things seem boldly possible, and yet so uncertain at the moment.
HOPE is confident expectation and trust that something good is about to take flight, though in the moment we hang in waiting.
May you remember the hope Easter reveals to all who live in faith, and may the expectant hope that sprouted as you began your adoption journey carry you through to reach your dream come true. “…hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.” — Hebrews 3:14
Easter blessings from all of us at Lifetime! We look forward to seeing what good things are ahead for you and your family.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on April 15, 2017, and has since been updated.
Founder of Lifetime Adoption, adoptive mom, adoption expert, and Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P).
Since 1986, adoption expert Mardie Caldwell has been dedicated to bringing couples and birth parents together in order to fulfill their dreams.
“Many years ago, I was also searching for a child to adopt. We didn’t know where or how to get started. Through research, determination, and a prayer, our dream of a family became reality. I started with a plan, a notebook, assistance from a caring adoption consultant and a lot of hard work; this was my family I was building. We had a few heartaches along the way, but the pain of not having children was worse!
Within weeks we had three different birth mothers choose us. We were overwhelmed and delighted. Many unsettling events would take place before our adoption would be finalized, many months later. Little did I know that God was training and aligning me for the adoption work I now do today. It is my goal to share with our families the methods and plans which succeed and do not succeed. I believe adoption should be affordable and can be a wonderful “pregnancy” for the adoptive couple.
I have also been on both sides of infertility with the loss of seven pregnancies and then conceiving by new technology, giving birth to a healthy daughter. I have experienced first-hand the emotional pain of infertility and believe my experience allows me to serve your needs better.
It is my hope that for you, the prospective parents, your desire for a child will be fulfilled soon.”