I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!
I've wrestled with this blog off and on for the last 4 months. I didn't know how to continue and so I put it off. There has been so much going on in our life, but I couldn't figure out how to download and share our experiences and still protect the sweet relationships that are forming in our house.
You see, 4 months ago we met our daughter.
2 months ago she moved in and today I am just finally starting to feel that peace and the urge to write again.
Our sweet daughter, shall from here on be called "Our Potato Master" (the name of her choosing) or simply O.P.M.
I decided that I wanted to tell the story of finding our little potato master. I use "little" facetiously as she's 15 and as sassy as can be.
So here we go...
Last Nov. things were pretty much a huge jumbled mess in our life. I was struggling to keep it together, having panic attacks and pretty much questioning everything I knew to be true in life. My wonderful husband was doing his best to keep things together, but something needed to give.
On Nov. 9th, 2013 we were working a local farmer's market for our business, With Love. It was a beautiful day and we were busily selling salves and natural body products. Adoption was the last thing on our mind.
In the middle of the morning I heard my phone "ding". I had a message from a facebook friend. We'd never met in person and had really only talked a few times. We'd been put in contact with each other through her family member that had gone to church with us. I quickly scanned the first few lines in between customers. I saw the phrase "I know this is weird but I think you should consider adopting...". "We've got another one Steve." I told him.
You see over and over for the last 3-4 years we'd had well meaning, loving and incredibly kind friends, family and strangers contacting us about children that needed homes. Over time you just learned to kindly acknowledge them but move on. We thought this was another well meaning message. We were so wrong.
After the market I finally had time to read the actual message. As we drove home Steve and I joked back and forth while I scanned. Suddenly I wasn't responding anymore and "shushed" Steve when he tried to talk to me. As I read it was like the Holy Spirit kindly hugged me and whispered "It's about to all make sense.".
I finished reading 4 pages of incredible, wonderfully detailed information on our little master. This facebook friend had stepped out in faith and followed God's leading. She, at great cost to herself, realized her job was to find the forever family for O.P.M. and she did this faithfully. I looked up at Steve, as we reached our driveway, with tears in my eyes. "You need to read this one." I said. Steve read it and I'll never forget the words he said. "She sounds just like me.". My heart knew right then that we had found our girl.
Over the next two months we corresponded with O.P.M.'s foster family and social services. It was honestly the easiest process. It was nothing compared to the other experiences we've had working with the state. It was a dream.
On Dec. 22nd we met our sweet girl. She walked into church, our hearts stopped, and the tears freely flowed. We praised God for the waiting, the questions and the uncertainty. It all finally made sense. We were waiting for HER.
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You see O.P.M. was not available for adoption until Dec. 13th, 2013. So God, in His mercy, brought her into our life right when it was time to start the process of giving her a forever family. God, in His mercy, protected HER from having to wait and wonder if she was wanted. The day she was legally free she not only had a loving, temporary family that she was living with to celebrate, she had a mom and dad all ready and waiting.
We were never waiting because of something we needed, we were waiting so we were ready when she was. The last 3 years had and have been a lesson in parenting, we just didn't realize it until now.
So O.P.M. has been in the home for just over 2 months now. It's been an incredibly challenging journey, but that's a story for another day.
We are praising Jesus in our home. Praising the plan he so clearly had, the joy that he brings in the midst of pain and the certainty that He is Lord of our lives. Even in the tough moments we cling to these truths and the every reigning hope in His faithfulness.
Rejoicing in what's to come!
You see, 4 months ago we met our daughter.
2 months ago she moved in and today I am just finally starting to feel that peace and the urge to write again.
Our sweet daughter, shall from here on be called "Our Potato Master" (the name of her choosing) or simply O.P.M.
I decided that I wanted to tell the story of finding our little potato master. I use "little" facetiously as she's 15 and as sassy as can be.
So here we go...
Last Nov. things were pretty much a huge jumbled mess in our life. I was struggling to keep it together, having panic attacks and pretty much questioning everything I knew to be true in life. My wonderful husband was doing his best to keep things together, but something needed to give.
On Nov. 9th, 2013 we were working a local farmer's market for our business, With Love. It was a beautiful day and we were busily selling salves and natural body products. Adoption was the last thing on our mind.
In the middle of the morning I heard my phone "ding". I had a message from a facebook friend. We'd never met in person and had really only talked a few times. We'd been put in contact with each other through her family member that had gone to church with us. I quickly scanned the first few lines in between customers. I saw the phrase "I know this is weird but I think you should consider adopting...". "We've got another one Steve." I told him.
You see over and over for the last 3-4 years we'd had well meaning, loving and incredibly kind friends, family and strangers contacting us about children that needed homes. Over time you just learned to kindly acknowledge them but move on. We thought this was another well meaning message. We were so wrong.
After the market I finally had time to read the actual message. As we drove home Steve and I joked back and forth while I scanned. Suddenly I wasn't responding anymore and "shushed" Steve when he tried to talk to me. As I read it was like the Holy Spirit kindly hugged me and whispered "It's about to all make sense.".
I finished reading 4 pages of incredible, wonderfully detailed information on our little master. This facebook friend had stepped out in faith and followed God's leading. She, at great cost to herself, realized her job was to find the forever family for O.P.M. and she did this faithfully. I looked up at Steve, as we reached our driveway, with tears in my eyes. "You need to read this one." I said. Steve read it and I'll never forget the words he said. "She sounds just like me.". My heart knew right then that we had found our girl.
Over the next two months we corresponded with O.P.M.'s foster family and social services. It was honestly the easiest process. It was nothing compared to the other experiences we've had working with the state. It was a dream.
On Dec. 22nd we met our sweet girl. She walked into church, our hearts stopped, and the tears freely flowed. We praised God for the waiting, the questions and the uncertainty. It all finally made sense. We were waiting for HER.
.JPG)
You see O.P.M. was not available for adoption until Dec. 13th, 2013. So God, in His mercy, brought her into our life right when it was time to start the process of giving her a forever family. God, in His mercy, protected HER from having to wait and wonder if she was wanted. The day she was legally free she not only had a loving, temporary family that she was living with to celebrate, she had a mom and dad all ready and waiting.We were never waiting because of something we needed, we were waiting so we were ready when she was. The last 3 years had and have been a lesson in parenting, we just didn't realize it until now.
So O.P.M. has been in the home for just over 2 months now. It's been an incredibly challenging journey, but that's a story for another day.
We are praising Jesus in our home. Praising the plan he so clearly had, the joy that he brings in the midst of pain and the certainty that He is Lord of our lives. Even in the tough moments we cling to these truths and the every reigning hope in His faithfulness.
Rejoicing in what's to come!
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