One of the coolest things that has happened this month are all of the connections that I have made with other adoptive families. We went into this process not really knowing anyone in our close circle who had adopted or was in the process. I had met one family (who just got their baby girl from Ethiopia a few months ago..praise God!) when they came to speak at our church on Orphan Sunday back in October. I had made sure that Evan was in church that Sunday just in case God wanted to lay a little something on his heart. God did use their story to touch both of our hearts. When we were looking into adoption, I sent the mom a message with lots of questions, because trust me, there are always LOTS of questions throughout this. She has been a great resource and even connected me to a few others who were in the process of adopting and that live in our area. Another friend on facebook connected me with 2 other families who are looking into adoption and were keeping up with our blog. My case worker connected me with a family who is waiting to be matched with their daughter and using the same agency as us. My mother in law connected me with a friend from her church who has adopted. Needless to say, A LOT of connections have been made over the past few weeks.
It has been so wonderful to get to know each of these ladies and their families through e-mail, phone conversations, FB messages, and soon to be lunch and dinner dates. I feel like we have this whole new support community around us to encourage us and that we can be an encouragement to. God knows that this momma needs that. I need connection, to know that someone else has been there or is going through this with me. It's so neat to see how he is providing in a way that I would have never thought to ask. He is giving me relationships with other believers who are walking this crazy and exciting adoption road too. God longs for us to be in fellowship with other believers because he uses those relationships to help us grow.
1 Thessalonians says:
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."
Proverbs 27:17 says:
"As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another."
I am looking forward to encouraging each other and being sharpened by these folks!
I am loving hearing these families stories of how God has spoken to them and laid adoption on their hearts. Every story is different and in some ways very similar. Those stories will never get old. I get goosebumps with each one that I hear because I know that God is moving and stirring in the hearts of his children. That believers are stepping out in faith, making sacrifices, loving the least, and being the hands and feet of God. That even when it is hard, there are people who are fully trusting his calling. It continues to give me hope that we CAN make a difference, that this will happen, that one day we will all have our children home with us. I look forward to the day when we can gather together with all our precious kids and look back at this journey and remember how God got us through this and used our relationships with one another to support, encourage, challenge and love one another.
A special shout out to all of my NEW adoption friends! I am humbled and excited to answer the call with you!
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