Finding Purpose Through Payment

Last week we paid our first adoption-related expense: several thousand dollars for a ‘consultancy’ to guide us through the entire adoption process and expose us to dozens of adoption agencies, and birth mothers, all over the country. Not a required expense to adopt in the U.S., this fee essentially enables us to find a child that meets our criteria more quickly and with fewer headaches, and allows us to sleep better at night knowing we have addressed all considerations involved and not overlooked anything. I’ve been feeling somewhat guilty or ashamed that we are spending what God has blessed us with to simply make life easier for ourselves or stack the deck in our favor. We don’t ‘need’ to adopt, nor do we ‘need’ these conveniences per se.

But in a conversation with the agency owner a few days ago God spoke to me through her twice. First he reminded me that, given our current station in life and our strengths & weaknesses, this is a wise investment and there is no shame in assuring we don’t make a big mistake along the road.

Second he has used this agency to open a window to an opportunity that may resolve my ongoing desire to use my professional skills and spiritual gifts for a greater good. You see there are many people like Jenn and I that want to adopt, or worse have to adopt, but the financial expenses involved in such an endeavor can be crippling. Why isn’t there a service for people like this, or for others who encounter an unexpected life-giving (fertility, invitro, etc.) or life-taking (cancer, disease, etc.) event, to lean on when financial resources become obstacles? What if there were ‘personal cause fundraising consultants’ who helped people engage their network (who are yearning to help anyways) in structured support of their needs? Hmmm...

By: Doug Poppen