Last year when the Lord laid adoption on our hearts for the second time, He also laid something different on our hearts as far as how to pay for it. You see, we can afford to have another child. What's hard is coming up with so much money all at once. And although we can make "payments", those payments are around $2500 each! So although we pay a lot of the adoption cost out of our own budget, getting help from friends, family (and sometimes even strangers), is so helpful and even necessary. But last time we did a lot of fundraising and selling and marketing. This time, The Lord laid upon our hearts to let Him do the work. Have one fundraiser, which basically puts the outcome solely in His hands. Thus, the Journey Tree was born.
The Journey Tree is a big endeavor...but it's not much work on our part at all. We just update the chart when a number is donated, secure prizes, and share updates. The Lord is solely responsible for whoever chooses to donate, and how much. And for this type A personality, this is a big challenge. Sitting back and watching the Lord work, in His time and in His way, is hard. It just is. I would rather be planning bake sales, having jewelry parties, selling t shirts and organizing spaghetti dinners! It would keep my mind off the slowness of all the paperwork and the hugeness of the debt we owe. But that isn't what the Lord has for us in this particular time.
So doubt sets in. When we go weeks without one person sponsoring a number on the Journey Tree, when we have to tell people "no thank you" for their offer to throw an online party fundraiser selling tshirts, when the one yard sale we decided to go ahead and have, since our friends generously donated an entire barn full of stuff, got rained out...the doubt sets in, and takes over.
Greg and I were sitting in bed reading and talking after the yard sale weekend came to a close. We were both certain that the Lord was still guiding us in the same direction as far as the fundraising, but we were both worn out and worn down after the rainout. We wondered why things were going so slowly. Thankfully, we just closed on a refi on our house and were able to make the first payment to each of our agencies (yes, we have to have 2 agencies this time, have to explain that later) with some equity from our home. Otherwise, our homestudy would have been put on hold. They have this thing about paying them for their work. (And they deserve every penny). We went off to sleep around 10:30 or so, praying that things would begin to pick up on the Journey Tree, and that the Lord would guide us as to how to proceed.
Sometime around 11:30 I got a Facebook message but never heard the "ding". It was from a dear friend who we met camping, right before I was pregnant with Trinity. We parked the camper that afternoon and Sterling and I headed to the grocery store while the boys stayed to set up. While at the grocery store, I remember Sterling said she really wanted to meet a new friend, and I told her to pray and ask God, so she did. And sure enough, when we got back, we were parked right next to a family with 2 girls right around Sterlings age. We all really hit it off. So much so, that we stayed in contact and would visit every time we were able to get down that way when Greg was working. They have since moved away, way beyond driving distance, which has been quite a disappointment for us.
So when I woke up the next morning and saw the Facebook message from her from the night before, I was so excited...but when I read the message, I started screaming! At 6 in the morning, this woke up Greg. I couldn't believe it! They wanted to donate $10,000 to our adoption! Wait, did I read that right? Greg said, honey I'm pretty sure they accidentally added an extra zero. So I read on, and no, it wasn't an accident. That number was written twice! This family has biological children, and had also felt the call to adopt. But because of the nature of his job, they move quite a bit, and it just never seemed like the right time. So they decided that their call to defend the fatherless was no less real, just because of their circumstances, so they would support someone they knew who was adopting. And that was us!
After reading the message, and screaming, I began to cry. Why had I doubted the Lord? Had I not seen Him do wonderful and amazing things before? Do I not know Who He is? Oh Lord forgive my unbelief! I said it over and over again that morning and am still saying that now. As each day goes by, and no numbers are sponsored on the Journey Tree, I say it again, and again and I look back at what He has done, and what He is still doing! And like a friend of mine said, He isn't obligated to do it. I'm not saying that if you step out to adopt, God is obligated to finance it. He isn't. But He does care, and He does show that He cares.
And to top it off, the Lord even helped us come up with a way to stop having to say "no" to all these precious people who want to help us by having fundraisers. We have a wonderful announcement regarding the Journey Tree at the end of the week! Can't wait!
The Journey Tree, if fully sponsored, would cover a little over half of our adoption costs. So if the tree is completed, and then add in our sweet friends unbelievable donation, we would be almost completely funded! I know God is able. I trust that no matter what He decides, it will be for our good. But, I confess that I am weak, and I doubt. I think awful things when things don't happen the way I think they should. I ask the Lord to forgive me and to continue to encourage me despite my unbelief. And from what I read in the Bible, (thank goodness for Peter whose mistakes always make me feel better), The Lord won't give up on me.
Praise Him for showing His hand in this adoption in a mighty way. I pray that I can pen it down in a way that will showcase His glory! He is worthy to be praised!
Psalm 33:20-22 "Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you."
Hoping in Him...and excited for what's to come!
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