“Your past may explain you, but it doesn’t define you.” This last installment of our summer series, “The Stuff I Learned,” is an honest story of one family’s struggle through the dark, hard places of trauma and despair, to the places (and person) of Hope.
Don’t miss out on this amazing interview with adoptee, Sandeep Thomas, and his two special guests (you’ll have to listen to find out who!), as they share how they have found, and continue to find, hope, joy, and gratitude on the sometimes difficult journey of adoption.
Listen Now.
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Notes and Quotes.
“That loss of my mother really just made me feel hopeless.”
“In India, if you don’t have an education, you don’t have a future.”
“All of these questions were roaming around in my head: “Why as a 5 year old did I have to go through that?”
“Unfortunately, a lot of the anger and frustration from the adoptee is directed back at the adoptive mom…the most caring person in my life.”
“What Satan meant for evil, God really meant for good. It’s been a continuous uphill journey and some days it is harder than others.”
“When he lost his mother, that loss was so deep that nothing else mattered… He would constantly tell me, ‘you are not my mother and you never will be.'”
“We are not super-heros. We are in the trenches with them and it is a life of sacrifice.”
[shareable]We are not super-heros. We are in the trenches with them and it is a life of sacrifice.[/shareable]
“I felt caged in a place where I didn’t belong.”
Stuff I Learned from My Son’s Traumatic Past (from Vanita)…
- It is only God. Hope comes from the Lord.
- Having people specifically pray has been our biggest weapon.
- God’s Word is also a powerful weapon.
- It is a long journey. Persevere even when they are pushing you away.
- The older our kids get, the more we realize how little control we have (as parents).
- Forgive. Apologize. Sacrifice.
Stuff I Learned from My Traumatic Past (from Sandeep and Ruth)…
- True healing can only come from Jesus.
- Continue to fill your child’s life with Jesus, the Word, and prayer.
- Accepting Christ and the gratitude that flows from that changes everything!
- God is not going to leave you. He will always be there for you.
- As an adoptee, I need to be aware of my limits and ask for the grace of God daily.
Resources and Links.
Years ago, Sandeep Thomas faced horrible tragedy and trauma as a young child in India. However, in the providence of God he was adopted at age 6. and this dramatically changed the course of his life. The trauma he went through not only affected him, but his parents as well. He was very rebellious, angry and felt that he was not loved by his own family. After 11 years of failure, hardship, and many struggles, Sandeep surrendered his life to Jesus and was transformed from the inside by the grace of God. Today a UW graduate, he is a national speaker who raises awareness of adoption. You can read some of his blog posts on The Crimson Road.
[reminder]How about you? What have you learned from your traumatic past? What have you learned from your child’s traumatic past?[/reminder]
