Adoption and Risk

Do you know how many times, before I adopted, people said to me things along the line of, "you don't know what you are going to get?" No, I didn't know what child I was going to end of with, but God did and He chose accordingly. This statement is really annoying along two lines. One is that people are assuming that other family's DNA is more flawed than their own. I don't know about you, but we have plenty of "issues" in our combined DNA that the statement, "you just don't know" certainly applies to a biological child as well. The second reason that I don't appreciate that comment is the simple fact that a child is worth a risk. To not provide an orphan with a chance because they are viewed as a risk goes against the very love and compassion that we are called to as Christians. Thankfully, people don't say that to me anymore after four adoptions. At some point, people consider you too far gone for their "helpful" advice and that's OK with me.

Here's a saying on risk that really hit me. I really like the line, "the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing." I don't think it's possible for most people, if anyone, to live the life they are called to without risk.

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.
Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.