{"id":300489,"date":"2018-12-18T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/the-realities-of-adoption\/"},"modified":"2024-10-07T22:41:40","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T02:41:40","slug":"the-realities-of-adoption","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-realities-of-adoption\/","title":{"rendered":"The Realities of Adoption"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>guest: Michael and Sharon Dennehy | Series: A Very Special Family | I Like Adoption &#8211; The Dennehy&#8217;s story<br \/>\n10 Ideas: Ministering to Orphans<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adoption has its challenges. Michael and Sharon Dennehy, known as the &#8220;United Nations couple&#8221; due to the number of international adoptions they&#8217;ve pursued, talk about the challenges and realities of adopting children with special needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Michael and Sharon Dennehy, talk about the challenges and realities of adopting children with special needs.","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-12-18.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:24:54","filesize":"22.81M","filesize_raw":"23914582","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2818,2821,2090],"tags":[2712,4660,4177,4661],"podcast_series":[7274],"cwp_profile":[8869],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-300489","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adoption-and-orphans","category-reaching-out","category-special-needs-child","tag-adoption","tag-romania","tag-special-needs","tag-special-needs-adoption","podcast_series-a-very-special-family","cwp_profile-michael-and-sharon-dennehy","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/300489\/the-realities-of-adoption","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/300489\/the-realities-of-adoption","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"eL8TMfPbmE\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-realities-of-adoption\/\">The Realities of Adoption<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-realities-of-adoption\/embed\/#?secret=eL8TMfPbmE\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;The Realities of Adoption&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"eL8TMfPbmE\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Adoption has its challenges. Michael and Sharon Dennehy, known as the \"United Nations couple\" due to the number of international adoptions they've pursued, talk about the challenges and realities of adopting children with special needs.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-12-18.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Tuesday, December 18<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. Mike and Sharon Dennehy join us today to talk about the joys and the challenges of being adoptive parents to nine adopted children. Stay with us.\n\nAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us on the Tuesday edition. You know, the reality of adoption, for a family, is that there are going to be some challenges. There\u2019s going to be some degree of difficulty that comes into a family when you add a new child. When you add a new baby that the two of you conceived, that\u2019s going to add challenge. You add an adopted child, that\u2019s going to bring challenge. If you add an adopted child with special needs\u2014now it seems like you\u2019ve raised the degree of difficulty again.\n\n<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\nThen, you add multiple special-needs. At some point, you go, \u201cIt would take Superman to raise these kids!\u201d\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Well, I think we have Superman and Superwoman.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Both here?! [Laughter] That\u2019s good! [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> You wouldn\u2019t say that if you were at home with us. [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> We\u2019re going to get to that! [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> We\u2019ll find out!\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> Okay.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Michael and Sharon Dennehy join us again on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Michael\/Sharon\u2014welcome back.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Thanks.\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> Thanks.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Michael and Sharon live in Richmond, Virginia. They started out their marriage in 1983 and have adopted nine. They have three biological children: Erin, who\u2019s 26; Marissa, who\u2019s 24; and Ryan, who\u2019s 22. Then, you\u2019ve got a bunch of adopted boys and girls, ages 7 all the way to 18. Did I get that right?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Pretty close; yes; that\u2019s good.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Well, it changes monthly; doesn\u2019t it?\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> It changes often.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes; I don\u2019t think we actually know, either. [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Let\u2019s go back to Bob\u2019s statement that, \u201cI think we tend to idealize adoption.\u201d\n\n<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\nYet, you\u2019ve chosen to go the route of special-needs children. How many of these nine that you adopted are special needs?\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> I would say four have physical special needs; but then, you know, when you\u2019re adopting from a bad situation, you end up with a lot of psychological needs, too, that you can\u2019t see.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Mike, you know, there are people listening, right now, who are saying: \u201cLook, we have got two kids. I have got all I can say grace over with two kids.\u201d It must take\u2014like I said\u2014Superman and Superwoman. It must take somebody uniquely-gifted to have as many kids as you have\u2014to go out and adopt them\u2014that have the special needs. Do you feel like this is something that you\u2019re called and set apart to\u2014the two of you\u2014or do you feel like more people are called to this than think they are?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s not as hard as you think it is. I have gotten that line from a lot of people\u2014right?\u2014\u201cWe have three,\u201d or \u201cWe have two, and we don\u2019t have a moment to breathe.\u201d A couple of things there\u2014\n\n<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\n\u2014first of all, that\u2019s a natural reaction; but I think those people have fallen a little bit for the American version of childhood and the American version of family; which is, \u201cEverything has got to perfect,\u201d\u2014as Sharon said.\n\nBut, also, it\u2019s a little bit like spiritual bungee jumping. You take on something that you thought you <em>never<\/em> could do; and you realize: \u201cI lived! This child is safe and sound, and healthy now. Our family\u2019s not only what it was, but it\u2019s more. We\u2019re happy. Life goes on. God took care of us.\u201d Then, you do it again. You\u2019re still a little scared each time. It actually gets easier and easier. We have this running joke in our family, \u201cOnce you get down to zero personal time, you can\u2019t go lower.\u201d [Laughter] So, why not just keep going at this; right?\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> If my daughter, Ashley, was here\u2014Ashley is our oldest. She\u2019s married to an OB doctor. They have five boys, ages four to thirteen\u2014lots going on.\n\n<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\nShe and Michael stepped out and decided to become foster parents. She\u2019s now had nine foster babies or young children that she has cared for. She says the most oft-repeated phrase is the one you just said: \u201cOh, I could never do that!\u201d\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That\u2019s the reason she says people don\u2019t. She says, \u201cI have the response, Daddy.\u201d She said: \u201cYou know what? I couldn\u2019t do it either if God didn\u2019t give me the strength to be able to do it.\u201d\n\nShe becomes a little like her dad, at this point. You\u2019d have to know Ashley\u2014she\u2019s not a table-pounding person, but she begins to pound the table\u2014she says: \u201cYou know, I think to say, \u2018I could never do that,\u2019 is a cop-out of not trusting God and asking God, \u2018What do You want me to do?\u2019 It\u2019s not a matter of saying, \u2018I could never do it,\u2019 but just stepping back and saying: \u2018Okay, God. What would You want me to do about that?\u2019\u201d\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But you better\u2014if you\u2019re going to do that\u2014you\u2019re going to take that step out in faith\u2014and I agree with you\u2014\n\n<strong>6:00 <\/strong>\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I\u2019m not saying they should adopt, necessarily, or even become foster care parents.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But if you\u2019re thinking about it \/ you\u2019re praying about it\u2014you think, \u201cMaybe God would have us do that,\u201d \u2014you better go into this with your eyes open, because I do think there\u2019s this picture\u2014\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> That\u2019s true.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014I watched a beautiful video that\u2019s done of your family: <em>I Like Adoption<\/em>. The kids are smiling in that video, and playing with each other, and they\u2019re getting along. I watched that; and I thought, \u201cWho doesn\u2019t want <em>this<\/em> family?!\u201d I know there have to have been days when it\u2019s been <em>dark<\/em> at your house and when the reality of the special needs\u2014not so much the physical, maybe, as much as some of the soul-scars that some of your kids have\u2014when you thought, \u201cAre we able to handle what God\u2019s given to us?\u201d\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> There have been those moments. We had some attachment issues with some of the older kids. You know, they would test us. What they\u2019re doing is trying to see if you\u2019ll really be there for them, because they don\u2019t believe that.\n\n<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\nWe just said to them, \u201cWe\u2019re going to love you no matter what you do to us.\u201d I think, you know, it\u2019s really\u2014Jesus models that for us. We just try to do that in our own home.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Mike, tell us how you handled attachment issues; because listeners are going: \u201cI\u2019ve got that with my two-year-old\u2014trying to drop him off at the nursery at church. They will not go in.\u201d What did you guys do when George is screaming, because he doesn\u2019t want\u2014I\u2019m talking as a baby; not anymore\u2014when he was a baby, what did you do?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> We just tried to be Christ-like where we could. I mean, we had an Ethiopian daughter join us. She, literally\u2014talk about attachment issues\u2014she, literally, put all of her stuff in a backpack and left our home. We didn\u2019t even know she had gone. She just walked out our front door, with all her stuff, and said, \u201cI\u2019m going back to Africa.\u201d We found her on a road, walking. She wanted nothing to do with us.\n\nNow, we\u2019re able to hug her. I helped her, this week, do a school project. Sharon went on a little soccer trip with her\u2014she made a soccer team, here in the US. She\u2019s a <em>different<\/em> person.\n\n<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But how did you get from \u201cI\u2019m running away,\u201d to a different person?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> The talk that Sharon said\u2014we actually sat her down and said: \u201cNo matter what you do, if you\u2019re in God\u2019s family, He would never abandon you. No matter what you do to us\u2014if you don\u2019t talk to us, if you don\u2019t hug us, if you walk away from us\u2014we\u2019re still going to love you. You can\u2019t stop us from loving you. Ha; ha!\u201d [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Well, now again, all of this sounds really kind of perfect, here, talking about it in a studio; but in the heat of the moment, when there\u2019s an emotional meltdown or a child that just maybe gets violent, physically or emotionally, against parents or against their siblings, that demands a lot of the parents. Have you ever had to deal with anything like that?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> A little bit; yes. The idea that I told you about\u2014where someone would just kind of run away or leave\u2014it was going to be dangerous. I had to, literally, pick them up and carry them back in the house, and lock the door, and sit in front of the door and say, \u201cIf you go out there on that road, who knows who could pick you up,\u201d or whatever.\n\n<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\nWe had some of those but nothing\u2014I can honestly say nothing that was really <em>extreme<\/em>. That, maybe, is just God looking out for us, and keeping His eye on our family, and giving us a little extra dose of blessing.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Have there been days, Sharon, when you\u2019ve been so overwhelmed that you thought, \u201cI don\u2019t know that I have the capacity for this\u201d?\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> There have been days when I\u2019ve wanted to take a very long nap, by myself.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes?\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Ever lose heart? I mean, the Scriptures are real clear\u2014in Galatians, it says, \u201cDon\u2019t lose heart in well-doing for in due time you shall reap.\u201d\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> I think the key is I really felt God called us to this. I really <em>felt <\/em>that He was in it, from the beginning. When you know that, you know there might be hard times; but you feel like He\u2019s going to take you out the other end.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> I have an altered view of all of this. I submit that a lot of people walk around every day\u2014and they\u2019re living what would be called the American dream\u2014but they <em>know<\/em> they\u2019re kind of in neutral\u2014waking up, having their coffee, going to work, coming home, have dinner, watch their favorite TV show\u2014\n\n<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\n\u2014and it\u2019s not that challenging; but it\u2019s a little hard, and then you do it again.\n\nWhen you enter God\u2019s will in such a way that He starts <em>revealing<\/em> amazing stories and blessings, and you travel, and you see lives changed\u2014you see people come to the Lord because of what they see your children saying or doing\u2014or you see this ripple effect that starts to kick in\u2014you, actually, sort of come more alive. It reminds me of, \u201cIf you lose your life, you\u2019ll gain it,\u201d and \u201cIf you gain your life, you\u2019ll lose it.\u201d There\u2019s something sort of scary about that <em>middle<\/em> place, where you\u2019re just in neutral.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Comfort is a dangerous\u2014\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Comfort will kill you!\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It will.\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> It will.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And your faith won\u2019t grow in the midst of, you know, a Lazy Boy<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> recliner.\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But I\u2019m just wondering, \u201cDo you remember, Mike, when it started to dawn on you that \u2018God\u2019s up to something here that is bigger than just our family. He\u2019s going to use these kids and what\u2019s happening here to advance His kingdom\u2019?\u201d\n\n<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> It <em>slowly<\/em> dawned on me. I\u2019m a little slow on the draw sometimes, but the <em>last<\/em> year has been a year of rich and amazing blessings. We kind of were our own quiet little selves for 17 years. The last six months, God pressed the turbo button and has decided to just unleash the story\u2014and let us be part of the story, which has been amazing.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Some of that\u2019s because of George\u2014and the fact that he plays guitar, and cello, and piano with his feet.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> We\u2019ve seen YouTube<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> videos of him. He\u2019s got a beautiful voice, by the way. Even if he couldn\u2019t play\u2014just put a microphone in front of him\u2014he\u2019s got a beautiful voice.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes; yes.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But he\u2019s leading worship in churches. Tell us about Romania, because he was born in Romania.\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> Right.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> He\u2019s now a minor celebrity in Romania; right?\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> He is. They invited him back to be on a television show when they saw his video. The idea was they would have him reunite with his biological family on television. It was an amazing three days we spent with the family. I felt like his mother and I had this special bond\u2014\n\n<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\n\u2014we were holding hands\u2014we had our arms around each other. I think that\u2019s only something that happens with the Holy Spirit. There wasn\u2019t that mother competition or that mother jealousy. It was: \u201cWe both love this boy. God has a plan for him, and we\u2019re both making it happen.\u201d\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I want you to comment on something that George symbolizes\u2014but also, I guess every one of your children, in some way, does\u2014and that is\u2014we tend to look at a handicap as something that limits a child. What have you seen in your children that demonstrates the power of what God\u2019s up to in a human life, who may be born with a handicap or a disability?\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> I always think of that verse in Corinthians that says, \u201cHe uses the foolish things to confound the wise, and He uses the weak things to confound the strong.\u201d I really feel like He does that with our children. He created them, and He had that purpose in mind\u2014that they would be able to show people things they wouldn\u2019t see otherwise.\n\n<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> George, for example, and I guess James, as well\u2014no arms\u2014but they both drive, and they drive cars that are not specially-equipped.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Correct.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> How\u2019s this work? How do you get the keys out of the pocket? [Laughter] Seriously!\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> What\u2019s your insurance bill? [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Very, very large! [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes!\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> How would George get in the car? What does he do?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> God sent a lovely young lady to visit us. Her name is Jessica Cox, and she was born with no arms. She\u2019s the only registered pilot in the world\u2014she flies a plane with her feet. She has a black belt. She came to visit our area. She showed George and James the plane\u2014how she flew it. She took us on a magical journey about possibilities.\n\nThen, she said, \u201cI want to go visit you at your house.\u201d We all hopped in, and she was driving down the highway. She said to me: \u201cOh, no. Don\u2019t get adaptations for George and James. Picture this in the future\u2014they\u2019ll want to go somewhere. They\u2019ll go up to the Hertz Rent-a-Car counter, and they\u2019ll need a specially-equipped car. They won\u2019t be able to travel. You want to have them use everything normal.\u201d She gave me this motivational talk. I said: \u201cShe\u2019s right! They can do it.\u201d She said, \u201cWatch me,\u201d and she started teaching them as they watched her do it. They got motivated.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So she uses \/ they use left foot for gas and brake\u2014\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Correct.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014and steers with the right foot?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So does that mean you\u2019re knee is sticking over into the passenger compartment? I\u2019m trying to get a picture of this.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes; I mean, there\u2019s a little bit of that; but they, obviously, couldn\u2019t use their left foot to steer because the door and the window would block you.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Right.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> So, they had to go to the right; and with the right, you\u2019ve got a lot more ability to kind of\u2014\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And if you\u2019ve got to do a sharp turn\u2014they can do that?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Oh, yes! They do quite well. It\u2019s funny\u2014the lady who taught them to drive said to each of them, \u201cI feel a little safer with you guys than with my own daughter.\u201d [Laughter] I think she was half-joking, but it was funny.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Keys?\u2014they can put the keys in the ignition and turn them?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes; then think about putting on your own seatbelt\u2014they both do that.\n\n<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Wow!\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> It\u2019s interesting; yes. They get a lot of\u2014our police station gets a lot of phone calls: \u201cThere\u2019s this crazy kid driving with his feet!\u201d\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> What special abilities have you seen, as a result of\u2014you have one daughter who has no arms or legs. You\u2019re, undoubtedly, seeing certain things emerge in her. What special abilities\u2014mentally, emotionally, spiritually\u2014do you see in her?\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> Yes; she just has an amazing mind. She\u2019s a smart girl, and she knows how to tell people what she wants because she has to. You know, she can\u2019t do a lot for herself; so we\u2019re teaching her to do it politely rather than order us around. [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So, how might she speak her mind? Give me an example of what might be the way she does it today.\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> \u201cMom! My hair\u2019s in my face, and it\u2019s going to get in my food!\u201d \u201cMom! Quick, I have an itch. Scratch my back!\u201d\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Okay; got it. So\u2014\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> So we say, \u201cYou had some nannies in Thailand that were paid to take care of you, but I\u2019m your mom; so you need to ask nicely.\u201d\n\n<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\n[Laughter] She\u2019s learning that. [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And could you see how God might use her when she becomes an adult\u2014and how He may take that limitation and just declare a certain aspect of who He is through her?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes; we were talking about Nick V.\u2014I always mess up his last name; I apologize\u2014he\u2019s a shining example of that. If anyone\u2019s ever had a chance to hear about Nick\u2014Nick was born with no arms and no legs. His full-time role now is to travel the world and share the gospel. He tells everybody, \u201cIf God had given me arms and legs, I wouldn\u2019t be here talking to you today.\u201d I could see that happening with Hope, as well;\u00a0 and George is doing it, now.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> She could be telling people what to do\u2014say, \u201cHere\u2019s about your relationship with God.\u201d [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> She\u2019s very bold!\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes; \u201cI order you to accept Christ!\u201d\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> I need to share an example of that, actually, because\u2014and this is a little plug for the <em>Jesus <\/em>film also\u2014I try to get a copy of the <em>Jesus <\/em>film in whatever language my child has when they come to us, if they\u2019re an older child.\n\n<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\nWe got the Thai version of the kids\u2019 <em>Jesus <\/em>film.\n\nWe showed it to her when she first arrived. She immediately got it. The Holy Spirit had worked on her; and she said, \u201cI love Jesus, and I want Jesus!\u201d Then she got sad; and she said: \u201cBut I\u2019m Thai. I\u2019m not allowed; I have to be a Buddhist.\u201d I explained to her that, \u201cThat\u2019s not true,\u201d and that she could love Jesus. Once she realized that, she wanted to go back to Thailand and tell everyone about Jesus. She\u2019s got that\u2014she wants to tell people.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> May God open doors, around the world, for her to tell people that: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be a Buddhist. You can trust Christ.\u201d\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> That\u2019s right; that\u2019s right.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It will be interesting to see what the rest of the story is there.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> To be determined.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. yes.\n\n<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And it will be determined\u2014you know it will be.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes; it already is.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Tell us about James. He has no arms; he\u2019s from India. He\u2019s now 16; is that right?\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes; he\u2019s driving. He is academically-inclined, unlike his brother.\n\n<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\nWe had this idealistic vision that, because George and James both had no arms, they would be best friends for life\u2014and share every thought and idea, and pal up and do things, and help each other. They <em>do not<\/em> get along so well. [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You thought they\u2019d be twins!\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Yes; their personalities are completely opposite. They\u2019re both <em>amazing<\/em> people, but they are like Yin and Yang. James is academic\u2014\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, now\u2014wait, wait, wait! I\u2019ve got to tell you\u2014Dennis had sons, who were two years apart,\u2014\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Oh, yes! I\u2019m just wondering how they fought\u2014how your boys fought. [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Oh, yes! James\u2014James\u2014you\u2019ve got to hear this one because it\u2019s kind of comical. James would say to George, \u201cIf you keep messing with me, you\u2019re gonna get a heeling!\u201d Usually, a healing is a good thing. When James wails on George, it\u2019s with the back of his feet. He gets him on the ground and then pounds him.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> A heel-ing! [Laughter] I get it!\u2014with the heel! [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> So, in our house, if you hear, \u201cNext time you do this, you\u2019re getting a heeling!\u201d it\u2019s not a good thing. [Laughter]\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You know, the principle is\u2014boys are going to find a way to wrestle, whether they have any arms or legs. [Laughter]\n\n<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> Exactly!\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It\u2019s going to happen!\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And the good news is your sons get along today; don\u2019t they?\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Oh, yes. We\u2019re planning a golf trip together.\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I just want to give you some hope that it could be that James and George and you are all best friends before long.\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> I believe it; yes.\n\n<strong>Mike:<\/strong> It will happen.\n\n<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You know, I think the lesson to take away from the Dennehys is just to look at their example and then say, \u201cWhat\u2019s my assignment when it comes to the orphan?\u201d It doesn\u2019t mean you need to adopt. It doesn\u2019t mean you need to become a foster care parent. It doesn\u2019t mean you need to go to an orphanage in a far-away country; but you do need to go near the orphan somehow\/someway\u2014either through prayer, through giving\u2014maybe, physically.\n\nI have to say that there has not been a time when I have gone near the orphan that I haven\u2019t felt like I\u2019ve gone near the heart of God. I\u2019ll never forget a moment in Beijing, China. There was a young lady, who was blind. She was, I think, 17 or 18.\n\n<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\nSome extended family members were using her to make money on the street corners, because her voice was that of an angel.\n\nSomehow, she found her way to this orphanage, where they provided protection and safety for her. She became a follower of Christ and gave her life to Christ. We didn\u2019t know the language of Mandarin, but she sang <em>Jesus Loves Me<\/em> to us. I\u2019m going to tell you\u2014there wasn\u2019t a dry eye among all of the adults\u2014\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> I bet; yes.\n\n<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014because it was the voice of an angel, in another language\u2014but a human being, who reflects the image of God. I just think\u2014when you go near the orphan, you <em>think<\/em> you go near them to help them; but God ends up touching <em>you<\/em>.\n\n<strong>Sharon:<\/strong> Absolutely!\n\n<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You know, our team, here, at FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, has worked hard to try to provide families with resources and help.\n\n<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\nIf you\u2019re thinking about\/you\u2019re praying about how you can help the orphan\u2014whether it\u2019s through adoption, foster care, helping to support an orphanage in another country, providing respite care for adoptive or foster parents in your church\u2014there are all kinds of ways that you can be a part of helping to love and to care for orphans. Go to our website, FamilyLifeToday.com; and we\u2019ve got links available there that can provide you with help.\n\nIf this is an area that God has put on your heart, again, go to FamilyLifeToday.com\u00a0 to explore the resources that are available; and get a copy of Dr. Russell Moore\u2019s book, which is called <em>Adopted for Life<\/em>. It provides us with a <em>great<\/em> foundation for thinking <em>rightly<\/em> about adoption in our world and in our churches. Again, go to FamilyLifeToday.com, where all of these resources are available.\n\n<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\nYou can order Dr. Moore\u2019s book from us, online; or you can call to order at 1-800-FL-TODAY\u20141-800-358-6329\u2014that\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d\n\nBy the way, I just want to add here that, since we had this conversation with the Dennehys, George is now married and is the father of a four-year-old son. God continues to have His hand on George, and on the Dennehys, and on their kids.\n\nYou know, when we worked on the movie that FamilyLife had in theaters, back, a few months ago\u2014the movie<em>, Like Arrows<\/em>\u2014we wanted to include a family that had an adoption story as a part of their family; because it\u2019s something that we care deeply about, here, at FamilyLife. I mention the <em>Like Arrows<\/em> movie because we\u2019ve had a lot of people saying, \u201cWhen is that going to be available on DVD?\u201d We now have the date. You can get it on DVD, or get it through Amazon<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> or iTunes<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> on February 5<sup>th<\/sup>\u2014that\u2019s when it\u2019s going to be available.\n\n<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\nWe have a limited number of copies of the DVD that are now available. We\u2019re making those available to those of you who can help FamilyLife with a yearend donation. This is a critical time of year for our ministry; and we\u2019ve had some friends of the ministry, who have come to us and offered to match every donation we receive this month, dollar for dollar, up to a total of what is now $3 million\u2014it was $2.5 million; we\u2019ve just had some additional funds released into that matching-gift fund.\n\nWhen we hear from you, whatever donation you make, we\u2019re able to access new funds from that matching-gift fund. We\u2019re hoping to take full advantage of it. To do that, we\u2019re going to need to hear from listeners, like you. We want challenge you to go online today to make a yearend donation to support this ministry, or call 1-800-FL-TODAY to donate. Again, we\u2019ll send you a copy of the <em>Like Arrows<\/em> DVD when you make a yearend donation; and your donation will be doubled. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com to donate, or call us at 1-800-FL-TODAY.\n\n<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\nAnd be sure to join us back tomorrow. We want to talk about some of the reasons why it can be so difficult for families, who want to adopt, to actually be able to adopt. Mike and Sharon Dennehy will join us again tomorrow. I hope you can be here as well.\n\nI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\n\n<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas; a Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry.\n\nHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\nWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\n\nCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2018 FamilyLife. 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