12 Days of Christmas :: Provision

Day 6 :: I am grateful that God always provides.

When we started our adoption we knew it would cost $20,000-25,000. We knew that we didn't have that money in any bank accounts. But we felt called to adopt. So we moved forward in faith. And EVERY SINGLE step along the way God has provided. Thousands of dollars. From the most unexpected places! From people we barely know. From friends who've followed our journey over thousands of miles. From family and friends who have deeply sacrificed to bring home our babies.

Then the original amount changed. We decided to adopt 2 kiddos. Thousands more dollars. Then we found out about a 2nd necessary trip. Thousands more dollars.

But with every additional cost, God opened up his pocketbooks and graciously provided the money. Almost to the dollar every single time. It's proof that God loves orphans and longs they are brought home into forever families. We were moved to tears many times as we opened envelopes and received agency financial statements. Sometimes it seemed like our bank accounts didn't humanly calculate.

Even, today I'm challenged to REMEMBER the One who provides. He's got us this far. He'll get us through the next season. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He cares for the flowers in the fields and sparrows in the sky. Certainly he'll care for the Diaz family and all his children.

12 Days of Christmas :: Blogs

Day 5 :: I am grateful for adoption blogs.

For the past 21 months I've been a borderline blog stalker on several adoption blogs. My Google dashboard should have really become my home page. I am profoundly grateful to have followed the journeys of those who've gone before us in the adoption process [especially Ethiopia] AND those who are walking in tandem with our journey.

I've been amazed at the bond that's formed with women I've never met from all corners of the country because of our shared excitement, anxiety, waiting, joy, and confusion. We "get" each other in a way that I've desperately needed. It's incredible to read another adoptive mommy's blog and think "I couldn't have said it better" or "that's unequivocally how I'm feeling right now" or "I've been in that exact place". I'm still amazed when another adoptive parent I've never met will comment on our blog [or Twitter] that they entirely resonate with what I've written. I'm crazy excited because I get to meet a couple of those women in Ethiopia next week that I've been blogging and email friends for over a year.

One of those friends, Laura, is also adoptive mommy 2 little boys and we got on the wait list on the exact same day [10/20/09] and they live just 45 minutes from my parents in another part of the country. I very well may burst into tears when I meet her because we've shared so much of our story together...just all via social media.

I don't know what adoptive parents did before blogs burst onto the scene. On this day of Christmas I'm so grateful for blog friends who've been traveling companions on this remarkable journey!

12 Days of Christmas :: Needs

Day 4 :: I am grateful for God giving me what I need.

Most of the time God's timing does NOT make sense to me. I wanted to be a mom 2 years ago. I wanted to have Judah and Addise home by my birthday [we didn't even get our referral until 1 week after my birthday]. I wanted certain house projects done months ago. Blah blah blah...
Today I'm grateful that God gives me what I need more than what I want. We could have been good parents 2 years ago. Things could have been fine if we had our referral earlier. Our house could have been more organized and purged earlier. Whatever. But I'm acutely aware today that God knows what I can handle, what I most deeply need, and will graciously give that to me. Even if I'm kicking and screaming when he gives it to me. He's just that good of a God.