Did you know Steve Jobs was adopted?  For a very public figure, he chose to keep his personal life tucked away.  As I saw his name on so many Public networks today, I discovered the story of his adoption.  As an adoptive mom, this historical fact of his life ticked for me even more than his astonishing, overwhelming, unexplainable technological contributions to the world. 

Yes, adoption matters even more to me than Apple.  Unbelievable to some.

Without the adoptive family that stepped in to love this child, there may have never even been an Apple, for there would not have been THIS Steve Jobs. I know this is presumption, as his birth parents could have raised this genius too, BUT, his life does demonstrate a pretty special picture of adoption and the infinite possibilities for a child’s life – for a child especially chosen by a family.

As a parent, I fully believe that every thing I do, and don’t do, little and big,

every moment,

every look,

every interaction,

every word spoken,

every belief instilled -

every morsel of my parenting shapes my children -

every second of every day. 

My heart, my actions, my attitudes shape them now, in their childhood, and will follow each of them into adulthood.  Parents are the most powerful influences in a child’s life – both for good, and for bad. 

So, without having done my homework on Steve Jobs’ adoptive parents, I won’t spend time presuming upon their incredible devotion, or the dream building exercises that they did with him as a toddler, or all the possible things they could have done to be THE most amazing parents on the planet.  I don’t know them.  But Steve did.  And their lives, somehow, deeply, shaped his, and therefore impacted each of ours.

I have done my homework where my parenting is concerned.  Both my husband and I have a mighty vision for our family, a clear purpose for our marriage and ministry, and an eternal mindset of investment in each of our five children, knowing that they will carry the message of hope to the next generations. 

But, do I live with this boldness in mind every day?  Do I pour my love into my kids with the future in mind – or do I at times go through the motions of the day, loving them well, but forgetting what possibilities are lying deep within?  Do I remember as I fold that 1,000th article of clothing, that I am shaping the future world changers, MY future legacy?

What if I knew ahead of time that I was raising in my home, in my heart, the next Steve Jobs? 

What if God told me tomorrow, that one of my kids would be the President of the United States in 2036?

What if I knew, the day my child was born, that he would become the next Billy Graham?

The What if List could go on and on.

I see Steve Jobs’ life and I see the huge impact he has made on the world.  Without his creative genius, our world would NOT be the same.

By observing his HUGE life, I see my five kids, and their HUGE lives – still ahead of them.  And I dream of the impact they will each make.  I pray for the influencers they will become.  I hope specifically in the world changers that they will be. 

Wil is 14.  The oldest.  Wise, quiet, but powerful. 

Kylie is 13.  The silliest (and the loudest). Beautiful, creative, alive.

Davis is 11.  The sweetest.  Sensitive, generous, bold. 

Gloria is 7 (She will be 7 next week – she would like that I rounded up.)  The huggiest.  Bright, contagious, enthused.

Dalton is 7 (He too is “big”- having lost his first tooth just 2 weeks ago.)  The youngest.  Observant, careful, deep.

We have five children.   

Two are adopted.

All FIVE are OURS. 

That’s why adoption excites me even more than Apple.  Steve Jobs changed our world with Apple.  Forever.  This world is profoundly altered by his work. 

But before Steve Jobs discovered Apple, Steve’s parents discovered him.

Before Steve Jobs’ life made such profound impact, two lives made an even deeper impact on him – choosing his life, to be the one they loved, adopting him as their very own. 

Apple changed our world. One Mac at a time.  One iphone at a time.  One ipad at a time. 

But adoption of a child -  a belief in what is possible – that too, changes our world. 

One LIFE at a time.  ONE family at a time.  ONE child at a time.

“i woke up yesterday” and started dreaming even bigger dreams for my five kids!  and for ME