Our story is unique; yours probably is too. We all have different reasons for why we choose international child adoption. While I could bore you with details, I won’t. So instead, let me leave it like this:

I felt God telling me to save a starfish.

You see, starfish are such beautiful creatures. They are shaped so perfectly like something that brings so many people joy. They have purpose even though it appears that perhaps they don’t. They can break. In fact, they are often broken by the unfortunate circumstances of predators coming their way. They sometimes wash up on the shore and are left for dead unless a rogue wave or someone else reaches down and tosses them back into the water. The crazy thing is that even though starfish are the ones that need saving, just by simply existing, they are making the world a more beautiful place.

My daughter is a starfish. She is a beautiful creature. She was made perfectly and brings joy to so many people. She has a purpose even though I don’t yet know what that is. She was broken by the socioeconomic system that she was born into. Lack of employment and empty tummies made her life more difficult. Had the social system not made a way for her, she too would be left for dead until we came along to throw her back into the water where she can thrive. The crazy thing is that even though she is the one who​ needed saving, just by simply existing, she has made our world a more beautiful place.

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION IS LIKE SAVING STARFISH

Do you see the relationship? International child adoption isn’t cheap, easy, or without frustration, but it most definitely matters. I could tell you that everything has been rainbows and fairy tales, but that would be a lie. While I could dwell on all the negative things or the challenges, I choose not to live there. Yes, the tantrums after homecoming were horrible, but the snuggles and bedtime kisses are better. Yes, the language barrier is frustrating, but the success of watching her verbally communicate with her siblings for the first time is sweeter. Yes, the constantly second guessing every parenting decision you have ever made is annoying, but watching my child walk confidently into her own class at school without me is bliss.

Do you feel God or some greater power telling you to save a starfish? If you do: dive deep to find out how far you are willing to go to put your starfish back into the water. And when you do, savor every good, bad, and ugly memory. Even the most broken starfish can heal with a whole lot of love.

Building Arizona Families Specializes in International Adoptions from Haiti