As I was sitting in the ER last week with chest pains, dizziness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations, the doctor was asking a variety of questions to get to the bottom of my symptoms. The casual question came up as it always does, “And do you have any kids?”
“Yes, we have a few kids.”
“A few?”
“Well, actually 10.”
The doctor about fell off his stool, sputtering with exasperation and laughter that surely having ten kids was my diagnosis, and I just needed a quiet relaxing week in the hospital to feel better! His response wasn’t too far off from the typical response we hear when people meet us, or hear that we have ten kids. We really haven’t been asked too frequently WHY, partly because I think we’re so matter-of-fact about it, that somehow ten kids is “normal”. For those of you who don’t know us, our 10 kids have come to us from the far corners of the earth, and all were considered “special needs” because of their individual situations:
- Four were adopted from Ukraine – an entire sibling group that was 5, 7, 9 and 11 at their time of adoption.
- One was adopted from Russia at the age of 19 months. He was a preemie, weighing just 14 pounds and not walking or talking at the time of adoption, and a minority (his birth parents are from Tajikistan).
- Two were adopted from Haiti at the ages of 8 and 9.
- Three are birth children.
So, if you’re like many, you might be wondering WHY? It’s simple really – God’s heart is for the orphan, and as His followers, ours are to be too. James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
If you’re still wondering WHY…take a look at this:
P.S. And just to assure you – having ten kids was NOT my diagnosis. As it turns out I have an electrical problem with my heart that is probably genetic. So, don’t shy away from having ten kids yourself for fear of heart problems! 🙂
