WHAT COLOR IS THE HEART ?
ETHNIC--of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common traits and customs
NATIONALITY--a people having a common origin, tradition, and language; an ethnic group within a larger unit (as a nation)
CULTURE--a stage of advancement in civilization
RACE--a family, tribe, people, or nation of the same stock
MULATO--racial combination of 1/2 Caucasian, and 1/2 Black (Not just African American) Many South Americans are Mulato.
EURASIAN--racial combination of 1/2 European, and 1/2 Asian
BLACK IRISH--racial combination of 1/2 Irish, and 1/2 Spaniard
CREOLE--racial combination of 1/2 French and 1/2 Black (not just African American) or 1/2 Hispanic and 1/2 Black (not just African American) Many Haitians are Creole.
CAJUN--racial combination of 1/2 French (Canadian) and 1/2 Caucasian (Louisiana)
AMERASIAN--racial combination of 1/2 Vietnamese and 1/2 Caucasian
BI-RACIAL--racial combination of 2 races (does not mean 1/2 & 1/2 always--could be 3/4 and 1/4 or a multiplicity of combinations)
MULTI-RACIAL--racial combination of more than 2 races--fractional combinations are extensive and too many to enumerate or define
Our daughter, Danielle, is 1/2 Vietnamese, 1/4 Chinese, and 1/4 Thai--she is of the Asian race, she is multi-national, her heritage is multi-cultural, and we are willing to teach her about her multi-ethnic background. Let me define this more clearly. She is multi-national, since her bloodline comes from three different Asian countries/nations. Her heritage is multi-cultural, since each of these countries, although Asian by race, are very different in their lifestyles, what they believe in, their food preferences and preparations, their artistic expressions, country history, dress and traditions, and their family viewpoints. In each of these countries are various types of ethnic distinctions. In Vietnam, there are the Hmong people that live in the mountainous regions, there are the Delta Vietnamese, living close to the Mekong Delta region, and there are many other ethnic regions in that country. Understanding the differences allows us to teach her more about where her family bloodline came from and the diversity that exists between peoples on this earth. Customs vary, dialects are vastly different, and lifestyles are each unique. The common thread that pulls it all together for a complete picture, that de-emphasizes the vast differences, and the significance in understanding other countries, races, cultures, nationalities, and ethnic heritages is Jesus Christ. For our Lord and Savior came to give his life as a ransom for many and for all that believe in him. In Christ, there is no Jew, no Greek, no Gentile, no color, no nation, no country, no heritage, no culture, and no difference. He came to make salvation available to all that believe in him, without exception. Only one requirement, to believe that God raised him from the dead, and to make him lord in one's life. This will be our top priority to teach and to demonstrate by example to Danielle.
We have had to wrestle with the issues of race and this thing we call color. Eddie was raised in the south, I in the north. We both came to our marriage with various prejudices and errors in our thinking. As a married unit, desiring to adopt a child and wanting to not only profess that we are Christian, but also to conduct our lives as such; race and color was a constant topic of conversation. We discussed the issues and our problems of prejudice almost daily. We knew we had a contradiction in our thinking process that did not match our hearts to love and serve God first. It was challenging, and we discussed this concern with many people: counselors, ministers, friends, and family. We wanted to change our minds, but the habits of prejudice seem to be too much to overcome. We had these almost daily discussions for some 7 months. Then we attended an adoption seminar/interview where we were asked what degrees of color were we willing to accept, this was a shocking question for our minds. We also met several couples that had happily adopted children of various racial combinations. Our eyes were beginning to open to new possibilities. Our society continues to become more and more mixed in bloodlines, and racial combinations are not what they once were. Here are some of the combinations that we have been made aware of or offered/matched with, while pursuing adoption.
The question a couple might ask themselves is: Would we turn down or accept this baby, if this situation was offered to us?
1/2 Caucasian, 1/4 Hispanic, 1/4 African American
1/2 Hispanic, 3/8 African American, 1/8 Caucasian
1/2 African American, 1/2 unknown (this baby girl turned out to be 1/2 Caucasian)
All Caucasian, but mother had CP
All Egyptian
All Greek
1/2 Caucasian, 1/4 Filipino, 1/4 African American
1/2 Caucasian, 1/4 American Indian, 1/4 African American
1/2 Caucasian, 1/2 American Indian
All African American
3/4 Caucasian, 1/4 African American
3/4 Hispanic, 1/4 African American
3/4 Hispanic, 1/4 Caucasian
1/2 Hispanic, 1/2 unknown
1/2 Caucasian, 1/2 unknown
It seems that the couples/families we have spoken to regarding this issue of color had one of two approaches to the subject. Either they were firm in their convictions as to the color/racial preference they wanted and there was no room for discussion, they were working through these issues or had worked through it. It is a personal decision, and one that each couple/family must make for themselves. No one has a right to stand in judgement of what another couple decides or does not decide to do when adopting of their own or another race. Yet, as born again ones, we stand before Him regarding the decisions we make. What your family and friends think, what your support group believes will affect the decision a couple/family makes. What your community thinks and the prejudice that does or does not pervade the thinking of that community will affect your decision. This are all outside effects and outward manifestations of what God is not. He is not judgmental and He does not see color. It is tough to stand up for what is right, what is of a godly nature, and to refute a worldly nature. It takes guts, conviction, determination, and a desire to have God work within the heart of an individual. What we discovered was, the more open we became to color and racial combinations, the more confidence we had that God would send the right child to us and for us. Not what we had predetermined, but what He wanted us to have. That can be a scary place to be, where one really trusts in God and puts their whole heart into His hands. When one says, "Okay, Lord, your will be done. You open the doors and we will walk through them. We will love the child you provide for us, no matter what his/her heritage, color or background." There is also tremendous freedom in that, because one doesn't have to figure it all out anymore. We went through this decision making process with color/race and then we went through it with varying degrees of disabilities and illnesses/medical problems. In each scenario, we placed our petitions before God and asked Him to help direct us, and to close the doors or keep them wide open for us. We needed neon sign direction. Know what? Every door shut, every direction was halted, and every "match" failed. Every road we traveled ended up at a dead end. Every effort made, failed to bring us a child. Every dollar we spent appeared to be in vain. We had never considered a child unless it was a newborn, we had never discussed Asian as an option. We were prepared for newborns--expected to get twins, and I had breast pumped for over 4 weeks (6 times a day) to induce lactation. We ended up with no newborns, no successful matches, no child, and no baby. We were spent, and we were mentally exhausted after a full 1 1/2 years of daily pursuit. I worked on adoption in some form or another every day for over 1 1/2 years; and we had been scammed, burned, cheated, lied to, suffered a great deal of financial loss, but the emotional toil was indescribably worse. Nothing in life had prepared us for the adoption process.
Then it happened. A simple phone call, a fast decision, a plane trip within 24 hours, and Danielle was at the end of the ramp when we got off the plane in Los Angeles. A beautiful Asian 15-month old toddler! The rest of that story is being written in our book, From Lemons to Champagne, and what a testimony it is to God's great grace and mercy.
He is an awesome God. Don't ever underestimate how He can and will bless you beyond measure, as you trust in Him. Place your confidence in Him about everything. Ask Him to change your heart and hence your mind, if you have the desire to change. Ask Him to direct your steps and help you to let go and let Him bless you. He can do a better job than you can. He is able and willing to deliver you out of every circumstance and situation. He is more willing to give you help than you may be to ask for it. Pour out your heart before Him, He can make a way where there is no way.
God is still on the throne, Almighty God is He!
For more information please read Statistics and Carnival. We encourage you to prayerfully consider registering with our service, and/or writing to us.
adoption@christianadoption.com
A non-profit Christian and Internet
service ministry. We're helping others in the adoption
process.
1.800.277.7006 620.251.4405
Deborah S. Hill P.O. Box 243 Coffeyville, KS 67337
www.christianadoption.com adoption@christianadoption.com
