The first conversation we ever had about us having a family included adoption. From the very beginning Matthew wanted to adopt. He desired to open our home to a child who needed one.
It seemed amazing the way God would send bold and strong messages to us, confirming adoption in those early days. It seemed very obvious.
But as time passed Beth-Anne began to doubt and wonder if this was God's plan. So they began to pray again in earnest. Asking for clarity and guidance. The answers didn't feel as bold or strong this time around. Fear seemed more prevalent than any other emotion. Fear to jump into what we couldn't handle or what God wasn't leading us to. Fear of the unknown. Fear of doing what wasn't in God's plan for us. Fear of the whole adoption process. There were so many questions whirling around and many unknowns.
Through it all Matthew stayed pretty solid and firm. Not wavering as Beth-Anne was. She felt the most peace when she would pray and read her Bible. The answers were gentle, soft, and confirming of God's plan He had spoken so long ago. But away from devotions the whole thing seemed too impossible, too overwhelming. So she continued to wrestle with God.
Then one day Beth-Anne prayed a prayer that would forever confirm God's plan for us.
Beth-Anne's friend, Katie and her family had been in the process of adopting from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Back in 2013 the DRC closed exit letters for children in the adoption process. That meant that children who were legally adopted, or in the process of being adopted could not leave. They were stuck. As we write this the country still has a freeze on adoptions and there are children who have been stuck for over 700 days.
Katie and her family waited and prayed. Friends, family, and strangers waited and prayed. We waited and prayed. We signed petitions, called the White House, and called upon our Heavenly Father to free those children to their families. And the waiting continued.
But on Sunday, March 22, 2015 Beth-Anne prayed a crazy, desperate-to-know-once-and-for-all prayer. Beth-Anne prayed that if God wanted us to adopt that He would bring Katie's daughter, Salima, home before August 20, 2015. She prayed for August 20, 2015 because that was the day we could officially apply to the adoption program for China that God had led us to. That gave God five months to do a miracle. And it would only be by a miracle that Salima would come home because the DRC was shut, and was not opening. So she prayed, selfishly for us to know God's will, and also for Salima's family that they would be able to bring her home soon. A miracle.
Two days later. Two days after she prayed this crazy, hopeful prayer on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Beth-Anne got a notification that Katie had posted in the private adoption page on Facebook. She expected a regular update. Nothing special.
But she was wrong. In a moment of stunned and heart-stopping-unbelief she read that Salima was home. She fell to the ground weeping. Weeping for God's goodness and His glory. Weeping that Salima was home after years of waiting. Weeping because God had made His purpose abundantly clear--we were to adopt.
What is amazing is that even before Beth-Anne prayed that prayer, God was working out the details to bring Salima home. God was probably prompting Beth-Anne to pray that prayer so that we would have final peace as we celebrated for His glory and our joy.
This doesn't mean that we think the process will be easy, or that there won't be hard times ahead. What it does mean is that we can move forward in faith. Remembering and holding on to the ways that God whispered and shouted "YES!" to our adoption journey.
Praise God for He still speaks clearly even today!
ReplyDelete