My guest blogger this week is Gale Duran, whose love for children is limitless. Her enthusiasm about life, her love of the Lord, and her sense of humor holds her near and dear to my heart. Her most recent publication, One Million Babies: An Adoption Story, is a masterpiece and based on the true story of her family (available from her website, www.galeduran.com and www.Amazon.com).
How do we define adoption? Some would say to take into one’s family a child by legal means. However, I define adoption differently. I would say that to adopt a child means to take that child into your heart, and to provide for them and offer them unconditional love. After all, that is what our God offers us, unconditional love just like we are, warts, imperfections and all.
Over 27 years ago, we opened our home to foster children. We thought we would give them a choice and some happy times, changing their lives. Well, the surprise was on us, because our lives were changed so dramatically.
Each child came to our door with a large bag in tow holding all their worldly belongings. Then, as they entered our hearts, our lives were never the same. Each child brought joy, trials and blessings into our home. They had been neglected and abused by their own families and needed to feel what love and tenderness from a family looked and felt like. Normally, we would have each child live with us for about a year, doing everything our family did … chores, carnivals, family celebrations, and yes, even the county fair. These children were not eligible for adoption, although it would have been our heart’s desire to adopt them into our family. It is always the State’s Protective Services position to reunite the child, if possible, with their biological parents.
So you see, each opportunity to allow these angels into our family was a blessing for our entire family. Adoption is an option … have you considered that option for your own family?
Starting at 18 years old, Gale Duran and her husband opened their home and hearts to serve as a foster home for unwanted children. After many years of serving orphans together, providing foster care for 12 children, her husband died suddenly from a massive heart attack. Gale and her current husband continue to care for forsaken children. Today, she teaches and writes about adoption in hopes of encouraging other families to care for the millions of unwanted children in the world. She holds a Masters Degree in Communication from Texas State University. She resides in Texas with her husband, two daughters, and four grandchildren.
Tagged: God’s love, marriage, pro-life
