While I cannot claim any creative genius for the title of this blog post (it's the title of yet another AWESOME adoption blog! The link is below so check it out.), the words have resonated with me ever since the blog was shared with me.
At the beginning of our journey, it was very easy to become bitter because of what we couldn't have and because of the struggles we were going through. Now, although not completely, it's easier to focus on those sweet parts of the journey...learning more about the adoption process, meeting other adoptive families, sharing our story, preparing for Baby D. Our minds aren't focused on the "can't haves" or "never will happens", but they're focused on our ability to provide a forever family to a child that needs one. If you've ever eaten a Sour Patch Kid, you'll know what I mean when I say it's the sweetness in the middle after sucking all of the bitter off.
Updates/Prayer Requests:
1. Sam and I are still awaiting the arrival of our approved home study report. The agency said 2-3 weeks. It's been 5 weeks since our interview. I, more than Sam, am finding it very hard to be patient.
2. Our adoption profile has been complete and published. This will be shared with the agency and potential birth families once we join the networking program in January.
3. We still have about $10,000 to go in order to meet the amount required to complete the adoption. Sam and I are writing grants through 3 adoption aid non-profits. They are: Show Hope, The Gift of Adoption Fund, and Help Us Adopt. Their websites are below. There are many other agencies like these available to help with both domestic and international adoptions. Check them out!
You can also help our fundraising efforts by visiting our fundraising page: http://www.gofundme.com/3kmk6s
Show Hope: www.showhope.org
The Gift of Adoption Fund: www.giftofadoption.org
Help Us Adopt: www.helpusadopt.org
Adoption Blog: Every Bitter Thing is Sweet: www.everybitterthingissweet.com
As we make our way out of the month of November, there are so many things to be grateful for. The blessings, the joys, and the sweet spots in our lives. But we should also be thankful for those bitter, sour, struggles, because without them we would not be able to see the beauty made from ashes.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Adoption is: A Leap of Faith
On Saturday, I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with a group of lovely ladies from my church for a One-Day Women's Retreat. Our speaker, Cindy Foor, captured the meaning behind taking "A Leap of Faith". Throughout the day, we focused on the "Hall of Faith" Hebrews 11 and a few of the people/families mentioned in that scripture. She highlighted Abraham's leap of faith as he prepared his one and only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. We studied Rahab, the prostitute's, leap of faith as she hid spies in her house in Jericho and made a deal with the spies to protect her family. We also looked at the story of David and Goliath and David's complete and firm faith in the Lord as he defeated Goliath with only a stone and a slingshot. In all of these stories, the peoples' focus is solely on Christ. As they made their leaps of faith, they faced their giants, dealt with baggage that was in their past, and through out the race they ran, their eyes were fixed upon Jesus.
Throughout the conference, my thoughts continually returned to the adoption process. Adoption is a leap of faith. The first verse in that "Hall of Faith" chapter says, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see". There are a lot of things we cannot see when going through adoption: when it happens, where our baby comes from, whether it will be healthy or not, how we can possibly afford it. Those are our Goliath's. Faith is taking God at his word. As we leap off that cliff, wall, sidewalk, we don't know how the landing is going to go, only that God will take care of us and provide us with what He knows we need. As we run the race, our eyes should be fixed upon Him, our trust in Him alone. This is not an easy thing for a Type-A, list making, plan developing, need to see the final result type of person (ahem....me).
November is National Adoption Month. Please consider taking a leap of faith with us. If you've been thinking about adoption, DO IT! If adoption is near and dear to your heart, consider donating time, money, or your prayers to a local, national, or international adoption agency. There are so many (agencies and orphans) out there.
Prayer Requests:
Throughout the conference, my thoughts continually returned to the adoption process. Adoption is a leap of faith. The first verse in that "Hall of Faith" chapter says, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see". There are a lot of things we cannot see when going through adoption: when it happens, where our baby comes from, whether it will be healthy or not, how we can possibly afford it. Those are our Goliath's. Faith is taking God at his word. As we leap off that cliff, wall, sidewalk, we don't know how the landing is going to go, only that God will take care of us and provide us with what He knows we need. As we run the race, our eyes should be fixed upon Him, our trust in Him alone. This is not an easy thing for a Type-A, list making, plan developing, need to see the final result type of person (ahem....me).
November is National Adoption Month. Please consider taking a leap of faith with us. If you've been thinking about adoption, DO IT! If adoption is near and dear to your heart, consider donating time, money, or your prayers to a local, national, or international adoption agency. There are so many (agencies and orphans) out there.
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for all of the public/private adoption agencies out there working to find homes for orphans all over the world.
- Pray for all of the families working through the adoption process.
- Pray for us as we "face our giants" in the coming months: joining the networking program, coming up with the rest of the money, and matching with a birth family.
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