225 – Calm in the Chaos? A Hope-Filled Practice for Anxious Adoptive Parents

Have you ever found yourself wondering whether you made the right choice as a parent—especially when loving your child means making decisions that feel heartbreaking, confusing, or impossible to explain? 💭

For many Christian adoptive parents, the struggle isn’t just managing behavior or circumstances, it’s learning how to find calm when everything around you feels chaotic. How do you hold steady when fear, guilt, and uncertainty all collide at once? ✨

Hi Neighbor,

Today’s episode goes back to the very beginning of this podcast. I’m revisiting the opening lines from Episode One, words that still give me chills because they carry the weight of one of the hardest seasons my wife Mary Beth and I have ever walked through.

They come from the moment we left our son at residential treatment, carrying questions we couldn’t answer and fears we couldn’t escape:

Would he hate us for loving him this much? Would he see this as the ultimate act of betrayal? Would he embrace the help we had finally found for him?

What we knew was simple and devastating all at once, our son needed help that our love alone couldn’t give.

I revisit these words not to relive the pain, but so I can sit with you in yours.

In this episode, I share how that chaotic season—one later shaped by the realities of adoption trauma, became the place where I learned how to find calm in the chaos.

I introduce a simple, practical practice that helped ground me when everything felt overwhelming: becoming a “copycat.”

In today’s conversation, we explore:

❓ What chaos really feels like for adoptive parents living with constant uncertainty 🌀 Why chaos feels inescapable when we only see confusion, fear, and endless storms ✍️ How slowing down with pen and paper can help calm the nervous system 📖 Why copying words rather than trying to “fix” feelings can bring peace 🌿 Why focusing on comforting words helps move you from chaos to calm

If you’re carrying anxiety, questioning your decisions, or feeling like the storms in your home never stop, my prayer is that this episode reminds you that you are not failing and you are not alone.

There is a way to experience calm, even here. 🙏✨

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way.

Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. If you’ve ever felt lost trying to connect Scripture with the realities of adoption trauma, I’d love to walk alongside you. Let’s have a one-on-one conversation where we can talk through practical tools and Biblical encouragement for your journey.

👉 Send me an email at [e-mail] to grab your spot. I’d be honored to walk with you. 💙

If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.