I would like to have another biological child, and can argue that the desire is good. Children are a gift from God, after all (See Psalm 127:3).
And yet, there are millions of orphans in the world. And over and over again, Biblical writers urge those of us who follow God to take care of the widows and the orphans (See James 1:27). If there’s anything I believe, it is that I am to participate in changing the “economy” of the world, I am to participate in caring for the “least” of these (Matthew 25:40).
So why do I still want a child that bears my own genetic makeup, along with Peter’s?
Whenever I try to get pregnant, I “risk” conceiving another child with Down syndrome, and my “risk” is higher than average (1 in 100, and rising as I age). While I would welcome another child with Down syndrome, I would nonetheless be contributing to rising medical costs. Penny is quite healthy, and yet we still see at least four specialists a year that we probably wouldn’t see if she didn’t have Ds, not to mention the tax dollars expended on her quite specialized education.
Why not adopt?
Well, adoption can cost a lot of money too. And it can take years.
I’ve thought about these things in the abstract for a long while. But recently, friends of ours decided to adopt two children from Ethiopia after a long struggle with infertility. They tell their story with honesty and beauty, and I commend it to you. For their blog, click here.
I don’t have answers. But I need to face the question: Why do I want biological children when there are particular risks in my case, and particular costs, and there are children “out there” in need?
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