At one point in my life, I would hear others talk about how God had worked in their life and if I honestly and truthfully stood back and thought - I wouldn't be able to think about an example to give. Yes, I was blessed. Yes, I was a Christian. But did I have any instances where I personally felt HIM, up close and real?
Then a few years back, after the birth of my second son. After I had just quit my full-time job. After I had just told him one night how "comfortable" I was. Tony was laid off. He was then offered a sweet deal in Florida. I didn't want to move, I cried every night. But we got down on our knees together and prayed, "Lord, if you want us to move - you're going to have to sell the house. We can't afford two payments." The house sold. In two days. No sign up. No real estate agent. Neon sign in the front yard from God "Your tail is moving to Florida."
Fast forward more years, I start volunteering for Compassion. Start feeling God telling me to go to Africa. Just that little voice you hear that you can't really make out - "was that my conscious or God's voice in my head??" We make a commitment and give it all to Him praying, "Lord if you want me to go, you're going to have to help us get the money." I had the money. In about a month. With $10 to spare. Neon sign from God "Your tail is going to Ethiopia."
6 months later, I have that little voice again. Can't really make it out, is it my conscious or God's voice in my head?? Saying: you need to adopt. You need to follow my commandment to look after the orphans (James 1:27). Um, hey God, I have three kids already. That's a-lot. I'm helping with Compassion. Helping lots of kids. Isn't that enough? And yet I hear the voice still. I kind of ignore it as just me. Keep it to myself.
I'm driving down the road to Columbia, by myself. Thinking of my trip. Remembering how excited I was and talking to my new friend Mike for the 16 hours over. I think to myself, "how cool would it be to be able to experience that with Tony? To be able to go back with him?" And then that little voice out of nowhere, in my head: "you will when you go to get your little girl." And right then, with a cloudless sky. Perfect Carolina blue sky - it starts drizzling just a little. And I break into tears. I can only describe it as the feeling of when you think you have lost your two year old in the mall and you see him, the feeling of that weight being lifted. Neon sign from God - "I want you to mother another of my children."
So I tell Tony and we agree this is huge. (understatement) We really need to pray about this. So for about 2 weeks I pray faithfully every morning. "God let me know if you really want me to do this. God please make it without a doubt clear if you really want me to do this. Please God, don't let me make the wrong decision for my family. By the way God, could you really let me know if you want me to do this?????" That same week - I am looking at a normal blog. See an icon for "Ethiopian Coffee for Orphans" to the side. Click on it and read about the charity. See a mention of the couples dear friend's blog "Blessings from Ethiopia." I click and go on to read the post but stop as I am too scared to acknowledge that Neon sign. It said, "Go. leave behind the life you planned. SEEK OUT the orphan. Don't ask God one more time if He wants you to adopt. Because... HE's been asking YOU, who WILL?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And so, with that one line began our journey into the world of international adoption. We signed our paperwork to begin the process in August of 2009. And God quickly let His desires be know that yes, we were on the right path for our family.
We needed $1000 to sign on with our homestudy agency - my family gave us $1000, unasked.
We then needed $1500 to sign on with our adoption agency, AWAA - a friend gave us a print to raffle and we began selling tickets. We made $800.
I opened up the mail one day to an anonymous money order, in the amount of $1500. To this day, we still have no idea where that gift came from.
The next amount we needed was $800 for our Citizenship and Immigration fees. We had just raised that money.
The next portion needed was $500 to close out our homestudy. The same night of the money order in the mail, a friend called saying he had won an office pool at work and immediately knew he was suppose to give it to us - $500.
**So for those who say adoption is too expensive, or they can't afford it -- we started with a big fat goose egg and God has provided every.step.of.the.way. The miracles we have seen in the last 2 years through our own journey and those of others have been enough to convince us three times over that God's heart IS for the orphan. And He WILL provide for the work He ordains. We are just blessed to have seen that neon sign asking us to jump, and we did.
Then a few years back, after the birth of my second son. After I had just quit my full-time job. After I had just told him one night how "comfortable" I was. Tony was laid off. He was then offered a sweet deal in Florida. I didn't want to move, I cried every night. But we got down on our knees together and prayed, "Lord, if you want us to move - you're going to have to sell the house. We can't afford two payments." The house sold. In two days. No sign up. No real estate agent. Neon sign in the front yard from God "Your tail is moving to Florida."
Fast forward more years, I start volunteering for Compassion. Start feeling God telling me to go to Africa. Just that little voice you hear that you can't really make out - "was that my conscious or God's voice in my head??" We make a commitment and give it all to Him praying, "Lord if you want me to go, you're going to have to help us get the money." I had the money. In about a month. With $10 to spare. Neon sign from God "Your tail is going to Ethiopia."
6 months later, I have that little voice again. Can't really make it out, is it my conscious or God's voice in my head?? Saying: you need to adopt. You need to follow my commandment to look after the orphans (James 1:27). Um, hey God, I have three kids already. That's a-lot. I'm helping with Compassion. Helping lots of kids. Isn't that enough? And yet I hear the voice still. I kind of ignore it as just me. Keep it to myself.
I'm driving down the road to Columbia, by myself. Thinking of my trip. Remembering how excited I was and talking to my new friend Mike for the 16 hours over. I think to myself, "how cool would it be to be able to experience that with Tony? To be able to go back with him?" And then that little voice out of nowhere, in my head: "you will when you go to get your little girl." And right then, with a cloudless sky. Perfect Carolina blue sky - it starts drizzling just a little. And I break into tears. I can only describe it as the feeling of when you think you have lost your two year old in the mall and you see him, the feeling of that weight being lifted. Neon sign from God - "I want you to mother another of my children."
So I tell Tony and we agree this is huge. (understatement) We really need to pray about this. So for about 2 weeks I pray faithfully every morning. "God let me know if you really want me to do this. God please make it without a doubt clear if you really want me to do this. Please God, don't let me make the wrong decision for my family. By the way God, could you really let me know if you want me to do this?????" That same week - I am looking at a normal blog. See an icon for "Ethiopian Coffee for Orphans" to the side. Click on it and read about the charity. See a mention of the couples dear friend's blog "Blessings from Ethiopia." I click and go on to read the post but stop as I am too scared to acknowledge that Neon sign. It said, "Go. leave behind the life you planned. SEEK OUT the orphan. Don't ask God one more time if He wants you to adopt. Because... HE's been asking YOU, who WILL?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And so, with that one line began our journey into the world of international adoption. We signed our paperwork to begin the process in August of 2009. And God quickly let His desires be know that yes, we were on the right path for our family.
We needed $1000 to sign on with our homestudy agency - my family gave us $1000, unasked.
We then needed $1500 to sign on with our adoption agency, AWAA - a friend gave us a print to raffle and we began selling tickets. We made $800.
I opened up the mail one day to an anonymous money order, in the amount of $1500. To this day, we still have no idea where that gift came from.
The next amount we needed was $800 for our Citizenship and Immigration fees. We had just raised that money.
The next portion needed was $500 to close out our homestudy. The same night of the money order in the mail, a friend called saying he had won an office pool at work and immediately knew he was suppose to give it to us - $500.
**So for those who say adoption is too expensive, or they can't afford it -- we started with a big fat goose egg and God has provided every.step.of.the.way. The miracles we have seen in the last 2 years through our own journey and those of others have been enough to convince us three times over that God's heart IS for the orphan. And He WILL provide for the work He ordains. We are just blessed to have seen that neon sign asking us to jump, and we did.