The Story of Us

Well, here I sit, 14 years after our first adoptions knee deep in paperwork, scurrying around the house once more preparing for another social worker visit. Looking back, it is easy to see God's hand in my life, but having children didn't start quite so clearly. There was infertility, poking, prodding, crying, and overwhelming disappointment. Then in 1996, an adoption of 2 beautiful children from Russia who are now teenagers learning to be themselves and testing out their own wings in life. Then, in 2006, God spoke to me. Another child He said. It was confusing to me. How was all my prayer time taken up with this? I was still infertile, Katya and Jack were 10 and 12, how could this be? Then, Tim got the message too. We both had no idea how this would happen. We couldn't afford it again. Then, the sudden death of Tim's mom. Through the sadness, Zachary came along from Russia too. He now sleeps soundly upstairs and has brought so much joy to us. These things we were prepared for. God provided the money, the method and we were comfortable moving ahead.

Things aren't so easy now. We were offered a baby from Haiti months ago. We thought it over, again, not sure about the financial part. We prayed with our church group for guidance. Then, the sermon. The sermon about money. We all know about that sermon each year. Somehow this was different. The pastor suggested that we were only given money by God. God wanted to see what we would do with it. He further suggested we couldn't out give God. If we gave faithfully God would provide. Tim poked me in the ribs and chuckled as he asked me to put a little extra on our check. We figured if we gave God extra He would give us the money for the adoption if it was meant to be. The next day, Tim was getting a bonus. An hour later a picture of the baby. He was beautiful. He was sick. Sickle cell they said. We researched and knowing he would have a tough time getting care here, we asked for his lab results to see how bad it was. It wasn't. Just the trait, he would be fine. God removed all the barriers, and we said yes and here we are. Still waiting on the money, loving our precious gift from God more each day and ever so impatiently waiting for him to come home. In fact, thanks to a good friend that is his name, Nathaniel (gift from God) with a middle name of Thomas after some other very special friends.

Did the money come? No, not yet. No bonus yet. However money turned up from somewhere else
totally unexpected. It is more than we need. It makes me wonder what else He would have planned for us! Lol!

So, why a blog? This is the story of how God is working in our lives as well as the story of adoption. So far it is quite a ride, but I have a feeling the ride has only just begun. Last week I learned that the children in the orphanage have a name for us white women who visit. We are Mama Blanc. I wear that title with pride.