Our church is currently doing a sermon series on Growing Deeper. As part of that series, they are asking folks to share their "Beautiful Stories" of ways that their lives have intersected with God to create a beautiful story. Several beautiful stories have already been shared. You can check them out here:
http://www.apexumc.org/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=716%3Ahear-some-beautiful-stories&catid=40%3Aworship-opportunities&Itemid=1
I want to share a beautiful story, but I'm a little nervous about the whole videotaping myself and putting on the internet kind of thing. So I thought first I would write it and maybe that would give me the confidence to tape it later.
My Beautiful Story
In February 2010 I began to feel God was speaking to me in a way I had not felt before. My husband, Jimmy, and I had been blessed with two beautiful children who were 3 years old at the time. One of our children is adopted from China. We are big advocates of adoption and have been amazed how it has blessed our family.
So when I heard of a family from our church adopting from Ethiopia, I was thrilled. This was a country we had strongly considered when we adopted from China so I couldn't wait to live vicariously through this family and follow their journey.
Then one morning during some quiet time, I felt as if God was saying, "Yes, you too". At first, I was thinking/answering, "No, not us". We were very happy with our family of four. We had no intention of expanding our family. But day after day I continued to hear, "Yes, you too".
(Now I will pause here to say no I did not 'hear' God in an audible voice. Which in many ways made it easier to ignore as just my own head and not something that God was calling our family to do. But the thought continued and I felt as if it was not coming from me. I say this only because I have struggled with knowing how we 'hear' God in case others also wrestle with the same thought. I have found that creating time for prayer and quiet allows me to hear him.)
I started to talk to Jimmy about it and we began to pray about it. We spent a lot of time talking about it , and (not surprisingly to those who know me well) I even made a pro/con list of adding to our family with a child from Ethiopia.
God continue to say, "Yes you too". He did not seem to care that I had more cons on the list then pros.
In March 2010, Jimmy and I took a trip, just the two of us. We decided on that trip that we would move forward with adopting from Ethiopia. It was a great opportunity to celebrate the beginning of our new journey. We completed all of our paperwork with our dossier sent to Ethiopia in May 2010. We began our wait for a referral.
Around January of 2011, I began feeling that I was hearing God again. This time to adopt a Waiting Child. (Children are placed on the waiting child list because of their age or medical history.) We had adopted through the waiting child program in China, but had decided not to this time.
I began to stalk our agencies waiting child page. Checking it everyday for any new children that might be pulling on my heart. I mentioned to Jimmy my thoughts on possibly adopting a waiting child, but he (nor anyone else) knew how much this was weighing on my heart.
Then one night in March 2011, while Jimmy was out for the evening, I got on the computer and saw her face for the first time. I cried and prayed over that face that night. The next morning, Jimmy stopped in by my office (not a usual occurrence) to bring a surprise coffee. I said, "I have someone to show you". A few hours later he texted , yes-go ahead and ask for more information. Oh the joy I felt!
A few days later, we accepted the referral of our beautiful daughter. What we know of the beautiful story of her first days and weeks of life, will one day be her own to tell.
The journey to her has changed us. God has so blessed us through this beautiful child. He is making us new. And we are trying to live our lives to listen for His voice and follow His way. We are thankful that we are All adopted by Him and that we are All children of God.
And that, is my beautiful story.
http://www.apexumc.org/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=716%3Ahear-some-beautiful-stories&catid=40%3Aworship-opportunities&Itemid=1
I want to share a beautiful story, but I'm a little nervous about the whole videotaping myself and putting on the internet kind of thing. So I thought first I would write it and maybe that would give me the confidence to tape it later.
My Beautiful Story
In February 2010 I began to feel God was speaking to me in a way I had not felt before. My husband, Jimmy, and I had been blessed with two beautiful children who were 3 years old at the time. One of our children is adopted from China. We are big advocates of adoption and have been amazed how it has blessed our family.
So when I heard of a family from our church adopting from Ethiopia, I was thrilled. This was a country we had strongly considered when we adopted from China so I couldn't wait to live vicariously through this family and follow their journey.
Then one morning during some quiet time, I felt as if God was saying, "Yes, you too". At first, I was thinking/answering, "No, not us". We were very happy with our family of four. We had no intention of expanding our family. But day after day I continued to hear, "Yes, you too".
(Now I will pause here to say no I did not 'hear' God in an audible voice. Which in many ways made it easier to ignore as just my own head and not something that God was calling our family to do. But the thought continued and I felt as if it was not coming from me. I say this only because I have struggled with knowing how we 'hear' God in case others also wrestle with the same thought. I have found that creating time for prayer and quiet allows me to hear him.)
I started to talk to Jimmy about it and we began to pray about it. We spent a lot of time talking about it , and (not surprisingly to those who know me well) I even made a pro/con list of adding to our family with a child from Ethiopia.
God continue to say, "Yes you too". He did not seem to care that I had more cons on the list then pros.
In March 2010, Jimmy and I took a trip, just the two of us. We decided on that trip that we would move forward with adopting from Ethiopia. It was a great opportunity to celebrate the beginning of our new journey. We completed all of our paperwork with our dossier sent to Ethiopia in May 2010. We began our wait for a referral.
Around January of 2011, I began feeling that I was hearing God again. This time to adopt a Waiting Child. (Children are placed on the waiting child list because of their age or medical history.) We had adopted through the waiting child program in China, but had decided not to this time.
I began to stalk our agencies waiting child page. Checking it everyday for any new children that might be pulling on my heart. I mentioned to Jimmy my thoughts on possibly adopting a waiting child, but he (nor anyone else) knew how much this was weighing on my heart.
Then one night in March 2011, while Jimmy was out for the evening, I got on the computer and saw her face for the first time. I cried and prayed over that face that night. The next morning, Jimmy stopped in by my office (not a usual occurrence) to bring a surprise coffee. I said, "I have someone to show you". A few hours later he texted , yes-go ahead and ask for more information. Oh the joy I felt!
A few days later, we accepted the referral of our beautiful daughter. What we know of the beautiful story of her first days and weeks of life, will one day be her own to tell.
The journey to her has changed us. God has so blessed us through this beautiful child. He is making us new. And we are trying to live our lives to listen for His voice and follow His way. We are thankful that we are All adopted by Him and that we are All children of God.
And that, is my beautiful story.
