Month: August 2011

It’s Beginning to Rain

/ kensrobin / 6 Comments

Indeed, a miracle was already on its way when we opened that referral on Monday night.

In my own doubt, I told Ken that either we had to stop the adoption process to raise money, or if we were to proceed, we needed money to start falling from heaven as a sign from God. The thunderclouds of doubt and fear were rolling across the skies of our hearts.

Within minutes, however, we found out that someone had already written us a check last week, and it was on its way.

Drip.

Shortly after, someone else offered to help us out financially as well.

Drop.

The next morning, we found out that money had already been sent to our adoption agency by someone who had no idea that we had such an urgent need.

Drop.

Another friend sent a message within a few hours after that she was feeling led by God to give as well.

Drip. Drop.

At that point, we had not even posted on this blog about our need. But God was telling me that I needed to. I really battled with God about posting  last night. I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to ask people for money. But God reminded me that I wasn’t asking for money, that He was. I should never be ashamed or embarrassed to ask people to be a part of God’s Plan. In fact, I should feel nothing but joy for being a part of God’s prompting.

Since my post last night, our typical blog traffic has tripled, setting both a single post record, and a single day record.

Drip. Drop. Pitter.

Several more messages have been sent to us from people who are responding to God’s leading. He is at work.

Drip. Pitter. Patter. Drop.

To us, the outpouring has been a clear indication from God that we should continue to move forward. We are so thankful for those who have already helped us clarify God’s plan. You may not even realize it, but you have been the instrument of blessing and confirmation that we asked for from God. We still don’t know how exactly where the rest of the money is going to come from, but we trust the One who is going to provide.

Drip. Drop. Pitter. Patter. Drip. Drop.

We accepted the referral for the two children earlier this evening. We’re stepping out in faith, knowing that God is still calling others to walk this journey alongside us.  Are you one of them? Would you consider how God is asking you to be a part of His plan?

After all, it seems like it’s beginning to rain.

Time for a Miracle

/ kensrobin / 7 Comments

I received a message yesterday afternoon from our adoption case worker that she was working on a referral for us, and wanted to verify the ages and genders of children we are interested in, since our home study is not yet complete. I confirmed that we were interested in siblings, preferably a boy and girl, and one in the preschool age range. We exchanged several emails back and forth until she asked me if I would be interested in a 3 1/2 year old girl and 4 1/2 year old boy who were siblings. I asked if she had more information and pictures, and within a few minutes I got another email containing just that, and more.

In fact, it was an official referral. This wasn’t just a “Hey, would you consider these two?” It was the medical information, a set of pictures of the boy and girl, and their actual names. The email also contained the referral acceptance agreement to print, sign, and have notarized, and instructions to return the packet with payment of $13,000, in addition to $200 per child for this month’s child care payments. In order to move forward, we have to put at least half down, and lay out a plan to pay the rest within 90 days, in addition to paying the other fees that will come due, which include nearly $1000 due in the next couple of weeks to file with immigration, and the remainder of our agency fees ($2000) within about six weeks, as well as $400 each month.  In case math isn’t your favorite subject, that’s approximately $17,000 total. This is addition to the $5000 that we have already spent so far in the last 2 months.

Gulp.  I don’t know how we can do this. We can’t even come close to what we need. We thought that the money would be due later, after we had a chance to do some fundraising.  Are we in over our heads? Should we be doing this? Are we just setting ourselves up for failure? Again? We’ve seen so much disappointment in the last few months. Can our hearts endure trying . . . and failing?

We debated even opening the pictures. Our social worker had warned us these were their intake photos. We weren’t sure what to expect.

We opened the photos.

They broke my heart.

Pictured were a brother and sister. The chubby-cheeked sister was clothed in a too-large purple stained dress, and no shoes. She was clearly upset — folding her arms across her chest in one picture, faking a toothy smile in another, a furrowed brow in another.

Her brother was standing next to her, in a blue track suit. In each picture he was pulling at his clothes with shy tearful eyes that looked tired from crying.

Suddenly it struck me as I flipped through picture after picture that what I was witnessing was likely the most terrifying moment of their lives. It was the moment they were being left. At an orphanage. The pictures clearly captured their tiny hearts breaking. How two preschoolers could comprehend such terrible grief is more than I can imagine. To be left with only each other. Frightened. Overwhelmed. Desperate.

My heart whispered to them tearfully in the moment of their anguish, “Don’t worry, we’re coming. We have a plan. I know your hearts are broken right now, but you have no idea what wonderful things are in store for you if you will just hold out hope. Have faith little ones. Your miracle is on its way.”

As I left my computer to escape the grief — both theirs and mine, I distinctly heard God whisper to me,

“Don’t worry, little one, I’m coming. I have a plan, and you have no idea what miracles I have in store for you if you will just hold out hope. Your miracle is already on its way.”

Yes, Lord. We need a miracle.

So there it is. We’re waiting for a miracle. We need money to rescue these orphans, and we just don’t have it. But God does. And I believe that He has a plan. He has not called us to this adoption alone, because we cannot do it alone. I believe that He has surrounded us with people who are also called to help rescue these orphans.

I feel like I must ask: Has God has been whispering to your heart over the last few weeks as you’ve been reading this blog?  Would you help to say yes to these two children, who have already experienced too much grief in their brief years? Are you called to be a part of creating the story now, rather than waiting to see how it ends?

Are you a part of the miracle that is on the way?

 

 

 
*Update: Donations directly to the agency are no longer being accepted because our fees are nearly paid off! (9/15/11)

Our agency has asked that you put our name in a note or on the memo line to make sure it goes to our account, and they will send you a tax-deductible receipt.

Of course, if you’d rather give to us directly, or by one of the means to the right, we would appreciate that too. All donors’ names will go on the picture frame surrounding the puzzles of the children whose faces will hopefully be home in a few short months. We would love to tell our children about the miracle that brought them home.

Are you a part of that miracle?

Love Unscheduled

/ kensrobin / 6 Comments

Five years ago, we brought two 8-lb Labrador retriever puppies into our home. They were a little bigger than the size of a bag of sugar, and perfect packages of puppy-smelling fuzzy love.

We gave them names that matched: Buddy and Holly. While they were from the same litter, they could not be any more different.

Buddy is 95 pounds of nap-loving, drooling bliss. He loves kisses, snuggles, and hearing his name. He wags his tail if I come within 15 feet of where he is. He wags his tail when I sneeze or smile. He wiggles and wags his tail when he falls off the bed, or when he runs in to trash cans while on a walk. He’s terrified of the sound of a fork on a plate, fireworks, and being in the kitchen. But his fears are balanced by his abundance of love. When we take him out in public, he beams with excitement with every new person he meets, as if the purpose of the existence of others is merely so Buddy can love them. He isn’t the most intelligent dog, but you won’t find one who is better natured, at least 98% of the time. The other 2% is in the morning when he first wakes up. He’s not exactly a “morning dog.”

Holly is much more the morning dog. She lies wide-eyed in wait for my alarm to go off in the morning, so that she can pounce on both Ken and I and lick us into a wakeful state before she attacks Buddy with the same enthusiasm – hence his grumpiness. Holly has no snooze button, and the word “Saturday” means nothing to her. She is incredibly easy to train, very intelligent, and we’re pretty sure she understands most of what we say. At times we are thankful that she doesn’t have opposable thumbs, because we’re fairly certain she would lock us out and have the house to herself. She is our “busy girl” and is very scheduled, knowing when it is time to wake, sleep, walk, eat, and even when she wants affection. She has specific times in the day that we are allowed to lavish affection on her, but she is not receptive if she’s not in the mood. Try to pet her or scratch behind her ears at the wrong time, and we’ll get a sneeze of disgust or she’ll merely leave the room. We believe she may be part cat.

Two different dogs from the same litter, and we love them both dearly.

At times, I see my relationship with God in my dogs. In all of my scheduling, discipline, and planning, do I leave enough time for spontaneous expressions of love for my Heavenly Father? Do I wiggle with delight when God’s presence is even near? While it is wonderful to have scheduled times of devotion and reflection, are those the only times of the day when I express my love toward God, and open my heart for His love toward me? I know it bothers me that I can’t lavish affection on Holly unless it’s the right time of day, or if she’s in the right frame of mind. I wonder if God is offended when I quarantine His presence to a designated time on my calendar.  It’s not that I don’t love Holly, it’s just that she makes loving her more difficult. How many times have I missed God’s expressions of love for me because I’m a “busy girl”?

The more I know and love God, the more I realize that the love of God will not be quarantined. Either I am open to Him, or I will miss out. And in response, I want to lavish reckless amount of love on God, as if the only reason for my existence was just to love Him.

Even if it’s not on schedule.