LOTT OF LOVE
There are some people in life who truly just inspire because their beliefs are not mere words, but action. Introducing the Lott family of Georgia. We met them, one day, at the zoo of all places. We and our three munchkins bumped into this adorable family with their 5 (now 6 with recent newborn), 4 of whom were transracially adopted. Courtney Lott runs Faithful Adoption Consultants and was wonderful enough to answer some adoption-related questions.
The Lott Family (missing newest addition)
1. How did you get involved in adopting children? We hadn’t really thought or even prayed much about adoption, until we were contacted about a 3 year old little girl who needed a temporary home. It turned out not to be so temporary. Almost two years later her birth mother signed her over to us, and a few months later we finalized our first private adoption.
2. How has adoption changed your life? Adoption is our life. At 32 and 29, adoption has grown our family from 3 to 7 in just four short years. We have adopted 2 children privately, and 2 children through the foster care system. With an obviously diverse family, we constantly deal with people looking at us, knowing that we have adopted. From compliments and praise to comments, whispers and stares, we are always teaching others and our own children about adoption. We have also started an adoption consulting firm, that seeks to help other families grow through adoption.
3. What do you find most rewarding? Most challenging? The journey of where our children came from and where they are now always makes a great story, but it is not the biggest reward or the toughest challenge. The most rewarding thing about adoption, is the same as with biological children, when your child hugs you and professes their love for you. When they fall down and you are the only person that can make it better. The biggest challenge is adapting ourselves to meet the diverse needs of each of our very different children.
4. What is the most common misunderstanding people have about adoption? There are many misconceptions about adoption. They include how much it costs to adopt and how long it takes to complete an adoption. People who are not called to adoption have a difficult time understanding how you can love someone else’s child. They cannot grasp that your child is not a permanent visitor in your home. While adoption allows for a different kind of delivery into our family, these children were created for us, for our family, and we were created for them.
5. How has your family reacted to your adoptions? We cannot decide how or if other people accept our adoptions. We didn’t try to give an explanantion or present our case on any of our adoptions, we simply said, “Meet our new child.” We are blessed that our families have been so accepting and supportive, but we decided ahead of time to have the approach that this is our family and others could choose to be supportive or not be a part of it.
6. What do you do at Faithful Adoption Consultants? Faithful Adoption Consultants is a referral service for adoptive families. We act as a liaison between adoptive families and adoption agencies and attorneys. Our goal is to help build families through adoption by education, encouragement and giving them the best resources available to grow their family through adoption. We are a faith-based company that seeks to glorify God through each family we assist in the adoption process.
We love the Lott Family! So glad you got to meet them and interview them. We are grateful for the impact they have had in our lives and the role they played in our adoption.