Jen Lilley Says Adoption Taught Her ‘God Loves Us the Same’
By Movieguide® Contributor
GAF and Hallmark star Jen Lilley is opening up about the lessons adoption can teach us.
“It’s really taught me about how, when Jesus says we’re ‘grafted in,’ how greatly he means that,” she told Christian Headlines. “We are grafted in, and we are heirs…with Jesus, with the Jewish people. So that’s what it’s taught me is that God loves us the same and that’s really humbling and astounding in every way.”
Lilley and her husband, Jason Wayne, have adopted two sons, Kayden and Jeffrey. They’re also parents to two daughters, Julie and Jacquelin.
“I don’t look at my boys any different than I look at my girls,” Lilley said. “I forget that I didn’t carry them in my body.”
Lilley is a major advocate for the foster system, as well as adoption.
“These are children who have found themselves in a horrible system that’s completely broken because of somebody else’s choice, because of a choice somebody else made,” she explained. “And so I’m really passionate about that.”
The actress spoke about her experiences with the foster care system in an interview with PEOPLE, saying that her parents were “kind of unofficial foster parents.”
“So the idea of having someone outside of my family unit stay with me for extended periods of time was not foreign or scary to me,” Lilley said. “That’s where my empathy and seeds of my love for foster care really started.”
Lilley has also given advice to anyone thinking about fostering a child, encouraging them to take classes to educate themselves. She also stressed that, even if fostering isn’t for you, there are still things you can do to help children in the system.
“[Everyone has] unique talents and gifts,” she told The List. “So, you should use those. Those are your God-given strengths, and you can use them in so many ways that bring joy to other people.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Lilley’s experience with fostering and adoption:
Movieguide® Awards Host Jen Lilley shared about her experience with adoption in the Arizona Health & Living July 2020 cover issue.
“It’s a long road and that’s one of the things that makes it so emotional is you never know,” Lilley said.
For Lilley, her parenting is more important than her acting career and worth every challenge that comes her way.
“I think that if you want to take care of children in a really dedicated manner, especially children who are in foster care who really need a lot of love and attention, and they need a lot of consistency, then I would not have been able to successfully do the show at the same time… Something had to give,” Lilley told Forbes.
Lilley added, “either I was going to do a good job on the soap and maybe not give these children the love that they deserve or I was going to be a fantastic foster mom, and just flounder in my acting.”
So Lilley stepped away from DAYS OF OUR LIVES to focus on her family.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
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Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
