Welcome back to Called to Love - today we are finishing out our intro series: Reframing Your Mindset as A Christian Adoptive Parent and I pray you have been encouraged so far - As we consider everything we have discussed so far in this series, notice the action words…reflect, remember, establish, surrender. Saying yes to adoption or foster care requires intentional and ongoing action and for our last episode in this series I want to add one more word to that list of intentional actions…embrace - God’s call to love.When God speaks to your heart about adoption, He gives you a choice to say “yes” but what I didn’t understand and have since learned is He’s also issuing an invitation and a choice to learn to love in an entirely new way. I was all in and committed to the warm-fuzzy, instant connection, this-is-going-to-be-a-fairy-tale kind of love. But love in the trenches? Yeah, it wrecked me. Why? Because to love in this way meant I had to change.  What does it mean to love in this way?Let’s dive into that together today…Connect with me on Instagram or Facebook!To dive deeper Into this series, grab your FREE GUIDE at christianparenting.org/calledtoloveFAVORITE TAKEAWAYS:Ahavah = Hebrew word for love. The root word is "ahav" which means "to give"Love isn’t an emotion at all, true love is action. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7Without patience and kindness, children’s brains cannot begin to heal, and their hearts cannot begin to trust and therefore, they cannot learn to receive or give love.It can be difficult not to judge or even celebrate the removal of a child from hard places due to the nature of their former life situation, but as Christians we are called to show grace even in the worst of circumstances.The old adage is true, “actions speak louder than words.” You can tell your child you love them all day long. But the truth of your devotion will be established and proven by your reliable presence and display of love through the way you meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.