The heart of the matter

Welcome to our family's journey! It is difficult to put into words what this adoption experience has been like for us. Our hearts have been forever changed. God has used this tiny being who we don't even know yet as a means of His grace to us, deepening our faith and strengthening our connection with each other.

It is not as though this adoption journey can be put on a shelf as one part of our lives. God has used it to open our eyes and hearts to Him in a way that I really could not have ever imagined. It has changed the way we pray, the way we see others, the way we spend our money, what we value, the way we see ourselves. For those familiar with the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, this has been our Narnia. The Lord has chosen to use this experience to awaken our hearts to His tender heart for orphans and to the reality of His kingdom.

Just like Narnia, it was there all along, but not until we walked through that door did we begin to see more deeply the wonder and beauty of our God, who calls Himself "a father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5-6), a defender of the fatherless (Psalm 10:18), helper of the fatherless (Psalm 10:14).

As we began to uncover all the the Lord has to say about caring for the fatherless, I just couldn't believe what I was reading. I had never heard a sermon preached about it, or maybe I just skipped that day, I don't know, but we were blown away with seeing over and over and over again, God aligning Himself with the fatherless and calling His people to defend, care for, and protect them. I started writing down every reference I could find concerning God's heart for the fatherless and His commandments concerning them, and I now have 3 pages of references.

All that to say, though the road has been bumpy at times, we cannot wait to hold our sweet baby, and give her a family who wants her and loves her. We are in awe that God has not given up on us, and we will not give up on her.

Thank you to all of our friends and family who have prayed with us and for us during this time, and continue to encourage us on this faith journey. As disappointing as it has been to see the wait climb just as we entered the process, the blessings in our wait continue to amaze us. We ask, most of all, for your continued prayers for our baby's safety, health and care. We pray that her caregivers have the resources and time to hold her and love her until we can.

We look forward to introducing you to our new family member sometime between December and February. In the meantime, we invite you to join us here for all of the latest details.