When I first posted about our decision to adopt I mentioned that God had overwhelmingly confirmed our decision. I feel compelled to share the details, to glorify God & to help others see the AMAZING ways He works. Just to preface: the events told in the following lines are TRUE (to the T), and totally UNEXAGGERATED in any way. No joking ; ).
Let's start on December 1, 2010...after feeling the burden on our heart for some time, Mark and I decided to take a "leap of faith." We filled out an application to adopt. We had no plans to discuss it with anyone for a while we were just going to pray and see where God was leading after sending it.
December 2, 2010 (my mom's birthday & the NEXT day!)...I had plans to go to a mom's group that I attend on a monthly basis (GEMS @ Hazelwood Baptist). I got the kids ready and headed out the door with the adoption application ready to send. To mail the application, I needed to go inside the post office with 3 kids... so of course I pushed that until after my mom's group!
Finally, dropped the kids off, sitting with my friends and eating at GEMS. Time to relax! NOPE... not today! There was a devotional given about the Christmas story after we had our brunch. Great story, we've all heard it many times right? But for me, on this particular day, this old familiar story seemed to grip my attention. The pastor explained that there are NO COINCIDENCES and that God had orchestrated everything that came to pass in this story. I agreed, God has EVERYTHING under control and He doesn't wait for a coincidence to make things happen.
What happened right after the devotional was a coincidence right? NOPE! Two of my friends that I have met through this mom's group announced that they were ADOPTING! Me (thinking): What?!!! That is just crazy timing...no way. I have an adoption application in the car and we have been praying for months for some kind of clarity! My heart was pounding and I had goose bumps all at once...it was like something physically hit me. (Remember: I told you at the beginning that this is not an exaggeration!) So we were supposed to be having a fun gift exchange, but I couldn't even breathe because of God's timing, so I shot straight over to Kristin & Lydia to bombard them with questions (sorry girls, you missed most of the gift exchange too ; ) ). Who, what, when, where, how, why??? I almost forgot to mention that both of these girls have 3 kids like me and both of their youngest child is the same age as Brogan! Hmmm, what a coincidence! Can God be any clearer than that?
Mark and I hadn't decided for sure where because we wanted to make sure this was what God was leading us to. Both of the girls I mentioned are adopting from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa (which, besides being in Africa, is very close to Ethiopia). I was thinking China or Africa from the beginning. So after this amazing confirmation from God, I had to call Mark and tell him about what happened. I also realized that I forgot an important piece of info on the application, so I couldn't send it just yet. It was nap time...also known as VICTORY, so I got the mail, mostly junk. I grabbed the Star Shop Local, a small newspaper excerpt, and thought to myself, "That would be so cool if there was something about adoption in this paper." I just thought it, I didn't expect for it to actually happen. I opened up the paper and to the left were the recipes that I always check out and to the right was an article about, YEP, you guessed it, ADOPTION!!! Are you getting the theme of NO COINCIDENCES yet? This particular article was about specifically adopting from Ethiopia. So I begin reading it of course. Before I even finish reading it, the phone rings. It's Mark, the first words out of his mouth (no kidding) are: "So, where do you think we should adopt from?" I am staring at this article and I said NOTHING. I responded, "I don't know, what do you think?" Guess what he said..."ETHIOPIA!"
The funny thing about the application is that we couldn't even go through that particular agency to adopt from Ethiopia, so we were spared the money for that application and decided on another agency. God can put people and things in our life at just the right TIME to speak to us. And that day He really SPOKE!
So, my friends & family, I tell you all this not to be dramatic, though it is hard not to tell it in such a way, but I tell you all for the GLORY & PRAISE be to God for being who He is and answering our prayers. The title of a book I was given (at GEMS !!!) a couple of years ago keeps popping in my head lately..."If You Want to Walk on Water, You have to Get Out of the Boat." Cling to your FAITH and never give up PRAYING!
In Awe of Him,
Holly
Hi,my name is Shari Mounce I'm also adopting from CCI. My story is so similar. God put it in my heart. Told my husband. He said it's a great idea we need to pray to make sure it's Gods will. Went to church the next Sunday (this was Fri) our preacher spoke about being adopted by Christ and cudos to our families in church that have adopted. Might a well have knocked us in the head. Then same week a friend came over wearing "I will not leave u as orphans, I will come for you" pic of Africa with a heart on Ethiopia. Then that sat I decided to confide in my husbands sister and she was in bookstore in front of russel moores book "adopted for life". All the while my husband was fasting and praying that day and I didn't even know it! Sometimes God knocks us right in the head!!!
ReplyDeleteI have heard that AMAZING story many times and I still get goose bumps like I did the first time.
ReplyDeleteThis was truly a blessing to read!!! You have no idea how much of a blessing you were that day at GEMS! It is amazing to feel the connection with people who have the same call to adopt. The Lord's timing is always so much better than our own!!!
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