Another Chapter in the Life of the Polivka Family. Exciting News!!

Below is a letter written by my husband, Dwight. He beautifully shares the journey we are on as a family...the new chapter we are creating as a family. Please read and pray with us to the Glory of God! May His will be done!

Adoption – A New Family!

For as long as we can remember, Jana and I have felt led to adopt; to bring an unwanted child into a family where they might experience a new reality.  God put it on our hearts early in our marriage, before we had kids, not as an alternative should we be unable to have children biologically.   However, He also opened the flood gates with biological children.  Consequently, were never at peace with the timing or feel His leading to follow through with this call.  So, it went on the back burner…until now. 

A couple years ago, for several reasons, we sensed God moving us again in this direction.  Unlike many things God puts on our hearts, adoption requires a significant amount of preparation in order to be in a place where we can respond to the call.  With that in mind, over the past year we have been in the process of getting approved to adopt through the foster care system.  At this time, we have completed everything required and are now in a position to receive a new family member when God reveals who that child might be. 

Before we bring you up to speed further regarding where things are and how you can help us in this process, you may be wondering why.  Why would we consider bringing another child into our home?   After all, aren’t five kids enough?  And, Dwight, aren’t you better suited as grandfather material at this advanced stage of your life?  What are you thinking?  So, here is where our thoughts are.

As children of God, I’m not sure we really appreciate and understand His heart as described in regard to adoption.  Ephesians 1:4-8 is one of several places God uses adoption to describe the new reality for those He has saved.  

“In love He [God] predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,

according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”  (Ephesians 1:4-8)

The bible is very clear that we are ALL broken and continually fall short of His glory.  What we have ALL earned and rightly deserve is His wrath – not His love.  There is none among us who would choose Him; quite the opposite.  Left to our own devises we run head long the other direction, shaking our fist at Him the whole way, and even having the gall to blame Him for the problems in the world.  

Yet, it was precisely when we were in that state, when deservedly dead in our sins, that He made us alive in Christ.  He poured out His love by taking on our death and giving us life.  But, unbelievable as that is, it goes even much deeper than our forgiveness and eternal life with Him.  As if that isn’t enough, our new life in Christ is not only a past event and a future hope, but an ongoing, present, reality as we enjoy the most intimate life we can possibly have with God.  We are now His beloved children; adopted into His family! 

He has given us equal footing with His only begotten Son as co-heirs with Him.  We can cry out to God “Abba”, (i.e., Daddy), and know He not only hears us, but causes all things to work together for our good.  Even in our most sinful moments He loves us.  He will NEVER forsake us.  Nothing can separate us from His love.  We are part of His forever family.   And this present reality is based completely on His love; initiated by Him; at His expense; as we were chosen by Him; and, brought into His household forever…through adoption!  It is this heart which He in turn gives us and then calls us to do likewise, to be imitators of Him, loving the unlovable. 

However, as He equips us He does not have us all walk the same path to accomplish this end.  He uniquely calls us to serve in various ways as we love with His love.  For some, it is literally to have His heart in bringing broken people into their family through adoption.  That is what He has put in our hearts; beginning with Jana and me and now extending to all of our existing children. 

What does this mean?  What might that look like?  And, why are we sharing it with you in this manner?  Well, we are not thinking of adopting an infant.  In fact, we are not even considering a young child.  We believe God is leading us to adopt from one of the “least desirable” groups – an older boy, somewhere between 8 and 11.  There are many reasons for this and we would love to discuss them with you individually if you are interested.  That, however, is not necessary here.   So, why this letter?

It is our sincere hope that God will graciously show us how best to serve Him in this process.   While we have no clear idea who He might direct to us, we would like to begin with our family – both church and biological.  We are praying that if, perhaps, there is someone already connected somehow through our existing relationships, (extended family member, neighbor, friend, etc.) who is in need, God would make that abundantly clear.  With that in mind, if there is anyone you are aware of who fits this description, please let us know so we can prayerfully explore that possibility.  While it would be logistically easiest to adopt a child from Oregon, we want to be open to what God is doing.  Our certification allows us to work with any state in the country, as long as the child is in a state foster care system.  Please be aware as you consider this, these situations are all very unique and it may or may not work out.  But we feel it most important to explore possibilities with our families first. 

This leads to another, most significant, reason for this letter.  We are not entering into this endeavor lightly or blindly.  This step requires not only our dependence on God, but the support of our biological and church family.  A new child, especially with the types of brokenness inherent in children coming out of the foster system, will completely and permanently change our family.  So, please pray for and with us as we walk this path. 

Finally, we are sharing with you what God is doing in our family; not making a call to action on anyone else’s part.  Certainly God may use what He is doing in our lives to prompt others to consider adoption for their family.  Should that be the case, we would rejoice and be more than willing to discuss what the process looks like, along with all the things to be considered in taking such a step.  Whether you are at all interested or would simply like to be more informed regarding adoption from a Christian perspective, we HIGHLY recommend you read, “ADOPTED FOR LIFE”, by Russell D. Moore.  

Thank you for your prayer support.  Please let us know if you have questions or would like to simply discuss this journey further.

With His love,
The Polivka family