Michelle Shocklee: The theme of my new novel Appalachian Song is “I choose you,” with adoption at the heart of the story. Recent statistics show there are over 100,000 children in the US foster care system at any given time. Their ages range from newborn to seventeen years, with the older ones on the verge of aging out of the system, leaving many of them homeless. Some of these children will return to their birth families, but the vast majority need a permanent home. 

A forever family. 

That’s where the beauty of adoption comes in. 

Adoption is a gift not only to the child in need of a home, but to the family—immediate and extended—they are joining. I’ve been privileged to have a front-row seat to the forming of many families through adoption. The four stories below are from people I personally know. (Names have been changed to protect privacy.) Each one is different, because each child and family are different, but they share one thing in common: these adoptive parents answered the call God put on them and opened their homes to children who were not related by blood but have become the children of their hearts. 

My Extended Family

Our extended family was blessed through the foster-to-adoption program when a tiny newborn boy couldn’t remain with his birth family. John and Ann had prayed for a child for many years. When the call came from a CPS worker about the baby, they gladly opened their hearts and their home. One year later they officially adopted the little guy. We celebrated with them at the courthouse on that special day. Although they’ve had ups and downs due to his birthmother’s drug use, they know he was always meant to be their son. “He’s an answer to prayer. Every day we thank God for bringing him into our lives.”

Adopting older children can be challenging, because unlike a newborn, they’ve already felt the sting of rejection, isolation, and in some cases, abuse. Yet God has amazing plans and beautiful lessons to be learned, not only for the child but for the adoptive families as well. 

Adopting from Overseas

When Lori and her husband decided to adopt, they felt led to provide a home for two unrelated Romanian orphans. They faced many delays, but after years of waiting they were able to bring the school-age girls home. Time spent in austere Romanian orphanages had left its mark, and both girls had emotional and physical issues to overcome.

Lori says: “Although we adopted older children, we didn’t miss any firsts: that first love letter I framed; the first time I heard the word mama; the first time I cried, exhausted at the end of the day. I realized that my husband and I had truly created a childhood for our children that they didn’t have to recover from, despite our shortcomings. We have been blessed beyond measure through all the hard moments and immense joy that was divinely orchestrated for our family.”

The Unexpected Blessing

Sher and her husband were the parents of three boys, two of whom were already living on their own, when God put a nine-year-old girl in their path. Her birth parents were unable to provide the care she needed, and she was being bounced around from one relative to another. As a mom of boys, Sher wasn’t sure she’d know what to do with a girl, but within two years of Mary coming into their home, it was made official. “We thought our family was complete with three boys. She’s the daughter we didn’t realize we needed.”

Becoming a Dad at Fifty-Something

Joe was a confirmed bachelor in his fifties when his life changed. He went to church on a typical Sunday morning where a guest speaker from the local foster care agency shared about the need for foster parents. As a single man, Joe had never considered volunteering, but God nudged him that day to do just that. Soon he was introduced to a fifteen-year old boy who, as it happens, had the same last name as Joe. The two hit it off. As soon as it was legally possible, Joe adopted the boy. “We felt like a family from the very beginning because our last name was the same, but now it’s official. He’s my son, and I’m his dad.”

There are many other adoptive families I’ve watched form through the years:

• Empty-nesters who opened their home to a set of siblings
• A family with two boys who adopted a little girl from China
• A couple who were blessed to adopt a boy and a girl
• A family with five biological children who opened their hearts and home to two more children
• A single woman who had just turned 50 when God made it possible for her to a adopt an orphan from Haiti

The stories go on and on. Beautiful, life-changing stories. Not without challenges, but nothing that can’t be overcome, because nothing is impossible for God. 

Have you ever wondered if you should take the next steps to becoming a foster or adoptive family? Maybe God has been nudging you to pray about it. Our local church has partnered with Tennessee Kids Belong, a foster care organization, that has information about becoming a foster parent. Check with your state for similar organizations. 

For those of us unable to become foster or adoptive parents, we can still help in various ways. Foster families are always in need of assistance. Babysitting, laundry, food prep, homework, and help with a million other daily needs is always appreciated. Your local church or foster care agency may have information about where you can volunteer. 

These adoption stories, and the adoption stories I share in my novel Appalachian Song, remind us that God has a perfect plan in place to create families. Sometimes it looks a little different than what we expected, but the joy and blessings are worth it.

“Appalachian Song” releases on October 3rd, 2033.

A Special Thanks to Michelle Shocklee and Tyndale House Publishers for the exclusive article and images.