So the "saga" continues.
Over the next few days, I was searching the internet. Looking for an adoption agency. Looking at waiting children lists. Looking at home study agencies. Weighing the cost of starting a homestudy now and moving before we have a child and all that comes with that. I did this for three days. I had so much information in my head I couldn't remember where I had read it. And most of the blogs I followed were people who had adopted from China, not Africa or Ukraine. It became overwhelming to me and probably a little (ok, maybe a lot) annoying for my family since this is all I seemed to be talking about. That folowing Thursday, I decided I would take one more look over at Reece's Rainbow
to pray over these blessings before turning off the computer for the day. They had so touched my heart in a new way. As I was looking, I came upon this little tid bit: It is rare to find a child of African descent in Ukraine. But here he is!!!! (this is where you must remember what my dear love had said about an African descent boy found in Ukraine?) I just about fell out of my chair. I didn't read anything else about him. I ran upstairs to get our oldest because she knew exactly what dad has said I wanted her to read the words and tell me I wasn't going crazy. She came down and read the exact same words and just laughed. I was determined not to show my husband this information until the time was right. Well, the time came quicker than expected - that night as a matter of fact!!! After dinner is when we do family devotions. Apparently it had not been a great day for my soldier. He had made a comment that proved to be a time to show him just how big our God was. So, I grabbed the laptop - this one as a matter of fact- opened it up, turning it on, the whole nine yards. All the while, my dear guy, is saying that we don't have time to look at this, coming up with many excuses because he really didn't want to hear what I had to say. But me being persistant at times, continued on. Took him to little Ian and had him read that line. His demeanor calmed, he gave me a bit of a smile and said nothing more. God showed up and spoke to my husband's sweet heart and I praise Him for that!!!! No, Ian was not to be our little guy. All doors were closed to him quickly for us but we have been praying for him to find a forever family. A little side note, I wanted to post a link to Ian so you all could see how God spoke but it appears his information has been removed. I am praying that he was chosen to be in a family but since he was an older child with many issues and may have been placed into a foster family. In Ukraine, once they are there, they are not available for adoption.
Are we moving forward yet? The answer is no. Why you may ask? Well, my dear hubby has made the promotion list, so that means we are moving again within the year. Then again 10 months after that. What does that mean for the adoption process? Well, fundraising, choosing an adoption agency and advocating for those who are adopting, needing to be adopted and suporting those who are raising the funds. It means we are not to be stagnat, complacent and closed off to this. Several short months ago, I told I friend that adoption was probably not fur us as we were getting up there in age and that maybe what we heard from God at that concert 4 years ago (almost to the day) was for her and her family and not for us. Yet, God has moved in our hearts once more.
What is our plan of action? We are sponsoring a little girl in Swaziland who has 6 siblings and both of her parents. We have told our kids that she is their sister though she will never live with us. We are here to help financially, to pray for her and her family, to develop a relationship with her over the miles regardless. She is adorable and we love her so much. If God allows, maybe at some point we will get the opportunity to meet her and her family. All of our kids have embraced these statements and call her sister with out prompting and want to do more. God has opened up doors for me to start speaking about child trafficking, adoption and orpahns in general. They all go hand in hand. Several days ago, I had the opportunity to share a little about this with a group of ladies all because of a comment about a book called Priceless by Tom Davis. It's amazing how God works when you start moving in His direction and in His timing and not your own.
Where is God leading us? To orphans. In Africa and Ukraine in particular. We still have a heart for marriage: praying and standing in the gap for couples who are looking at divorce (oh how I hate that word!!!) and ministering to them the best way we know how - through what the Bible says. OH! but those orphans in Africa and Ukraine are where it's at! I don't care what's wrong with them, don't care what they have been through we LOVE THEM. All of them!!! Any family members or friends who read this may be surprised to read that but it's true!!!! How I so desire it. And many will say, "You already have 4 or your own! How many more can you handle?" I don't know but God does and I'll let Him worry about that. All I know is that we all need a mommy and daddy with skin on, to tuck us into bed, get read a bedtime story, get hugs and kisses from, have brothers and sisters who are your best friends and hear the words,"I Love You!" from. These kids deserve to find acceptance in a family because we live in a world where acceptance isn't easily obtained.
So in the coming months, you may start to hear several unfamiliar voices coming from the back of the room. Those voices may not be speaking out for just the orphans looking for forever families, being abused and exploited for the sake of money, but for the unsaved, the widow, those whose marriages are broken, the ones who are "too hard" to love, or any other group that God calls us to speak up for. WE, my family, has a voice -many voices- and we will be using it for the Kingodm of God. Once you see the world through His eyes, there's no denying what your next course of action will be. Ours, is to continue to share the love of Jesus, the gospel, learning about these causes, telling others about these plights, praying, listening, following Jesus into the unknown, raising money, and eventually working with others to stop this insanity.
Have a very blessed day. Look at everyone you come across as Jesus and you will serve them well. ( A paraphrase from Francis Chan's book Crazy Love I haven't been the same since I read those words)
Seeing the world through His eyes,
Laurie
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