Sunday, November 3, 2013

November 3, 2012

This is the story I've been wanting and waiting to write- our adoption story one year in the making.

Over the years I've occasionally felt the discomfort of comfort. Have you ever felt it?  A comfortable life with stable jobs and a house in a safe neighborhood. Friends, parties, hobbies and church on Sunday. Please hear me say that there is NOTHING wrong with any of those things... I do, however, believe these lovely things become a burden when we ignore what we *should* do because it doesn't seem easy or safe or convenient. 

Many times I prayed that the Lord would give us the courage to be obedient if and when He asked us to step out of our comfort zone- truly having no idea what that might look like.

November 3rd, 2012

I found myself browsing the Reece's Rainbow website. It wasn't the first time I'd looked at the precious children listed or thought about the overwhelming need with regard to adoption. Some time previously I had cried many hot tears while reading the story of Katie's adoption. I remember showing Justin pictures of her painfully thin body and sobbing- it was the first time I truly understood the tragedy of Eastern European orphanages. But, in order to cope and move on, I pushed it from my mind. That's always been my coping mechanism with difficult things. Distraction and denial work wonders when you are trying to forget something sad.

Back to the 3rd... As I sat on the floor of our den I very simply and clearly heard the Lord tell me that our family would adopt one of these children. And as crazy as this sounds... I didn't feel scared. (Ok, well maybe a little) It almost felt like I had been preparing for years for this exact moment... that this thing that made absolutely NO sense in the eyes of the world made 100% sense in light of who God is. 

I later approached Justin, fully expecting him to laugh me out of the room. Imagine my shock when he thoughtfully listened and agreed we needed to pray and consider this endeavor. God was clearly at work in both our hearts.

The next weekend our church observed Defending the Fatherless Sunday. Justin and I were so blessed by the wise words preached by Tim Columbe, a father of 4. You can watch or listen to Tim's sermon here. (And I really recommend that you do!) More and more, this adoption "thing" seemed like a real possibility for our family.

We continued to talk and pray and read and research. We very clearly felt God was asking us to adopt, but timing and money were scary obstacles. After 9 months and many, many hours of conversation and prayer- we started our homestudy and began the process to adopt a child with Down syndrome from Eastern Europe.

So here we are, one year later. Waiting to receive travel dates and daily longing for our child who is half a world away. It seems mind boggling when I consider the way our hearts have changed and grown in just one year.   

My prayer this evening is that we will always have the faith and obedience to say "Yes" to what God asks, no matter how scary or uncertain the task. 

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being."
Matthew 6:19-21



2 comments:

  1. thank you for the example of obedience you are before us all! Many prayers

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your post. This sentence terrifies me because I like easy, safe, and convenient, but I know that obedience is far more important: "I do, however, believe these lovely things become a burden when we ignore what we *should* do because it doesn't seem easy or safe or convenient."

    ReplyDelete