I believe that having faith in something is a real thrill, like living on the edge. In order to build up our first ounce of faith, we had to trust that God knew what He was doing. Then, we had to stop worrying. Honestly, I haven't completely stopped...I am human. But what I did to alleviate the worrying was to look for truth in the Bible. What does God say about orphans when He spoke of it in the Word? These are my favorites:
Psalms 68:5-6
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families".
James 1:27
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world".
Matthew 18:1-5
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."
There are so many verses throughout the old and new testaments that mention God as 'defender of the orphan' and call us to care for them.
I liked the verse in Matthew because it calls us to humble ourselves like little children. Children do not rely upon themselves for provision, they rely on a parent. So what a relief to know that all God is asking us for is that we rely upon Him, rather than on ourselves, for provision (in all things, including this adoption). And let me say, it is truly a humbling experience to watch all that God has done.
When we began our first fundraiser (the Noah's Ark puzzle), we e-mailed many people about it and went to bed. The next morning, we received a few donations.
Miracle #4: We received a donation for the exact amount needed to register our documents in Russia. The day previous to receiving this donation, we had been notified that our payment was due for this registration.
Friends and family have donated enough to help us put together over half of the puzzle. Thank you!!!
And as if this were not enough, we still have not told you about Miracle #5. We received a check that covers the exact amount of our next payment due.
This is crazy, right?! Every financial hurdle we have had to meet has been met, in sequential order and for the exact amounts.
We have found that God is using both Christians and non-Christians alike in completing this adoption story. I love that this adoption is as unique as the first, and perhaps even more so, because it is a true testament to what God can do when we put our full faith in Him. This experience has humbled me and changed my heart in more ways than I could have imagined. Perhaps this adoption story will change more hearts than my own. I pray that is true. Praise God for miracles, big and small!
