The lamp itself was fried, but I kept the plug and the penny as a reminder of God's protection over her. They are in a special place on my dresser.
In the adoption world, there are those who say, "Step out in faith, and God will provide! We started with nothing and had $40,000 raised in 6 months!" While I'm not doubting the veracity of those stories, I will say that it doesn't always work that way. Maybe if you're really popular. Maybe if you have a close knit, large extended family who is excited for you. Maybe if your job, or your spouse's job is like a second family to you, or has great adoption benefits.
We went into Hannah's adoption thinking we'd get a cool story of how God provided by some Big Miracle. And I confess, I was a little disappointed when that was not how He did it. We applied for a grant from Show Hope and were denied. Instead, God gave my husband the ability to work a ton of overtime. Still God's provision, just not as dramatic.
This time around, a month after we said yes to Katie, Paul got hurt and couldn't work for 5 weeks. That means no regular work, and no overtime. This has put us in a position of having to trust all the more. I celebrate every gift, large or small, that comes in from any source now, because I have learned that God's provision doesn't always come with blinding light and trumpets. Sometimes it's enclosed in a Christmas card. Sometimes it's seeing our Reece's Rainbow ticker jump up $20 bucks.
While it would be neat to be able to say, "This big thing happened and God provided," it's just as beautiful to be able to tell you, "God is providing." It's ongoing. It's not a finished act. That helps us rely on Him all the more. And I have a feeling, that's right where He wants us.
Thanks for clicking for us! 
Sweet friend,
ReplyDeleteI understand the trusting God for adoptions - after all we've adopted 9 times!
The Lord brought a little over $100,000 dollars to our home in just about 2 years on a pastor's salary...
We watched God provide every single penny as we started with nothing, didn't fundraise on the blog in any way, don't have family who helped in any significant way or anything else. We sold everything we had, including a hot tub that had come with the little log home we'd bought. We sold our beloved camper.
We received one grant {the only one we applied for} and it was for a couple thousand.
People we didn't know did walk up to Dw and handed him a check for $15,000 - which was only God because NO ONE knew about being in the midst of Jubilee and finding Elijah and Elizabeth and wondering how in the world God was going to provide for all three? But we knew that we knew that HE would...and that $15,000 was a really amazing gift from *HIM*.
Their generous gift of $15,000 helped a ton, and we all know that if we had not been in the midst of adopting three from 2 different countries on the heels of Isaiah...God would not have dropped $15,000 in our lap.
But we watched God faithfully provide every.other.single.penny of the $100,000.
I do believe He most often does the penny-by-penny approach because He wants to make sure we understand it's *only* Him providing...and He loves when we have to depend on him and talk to Him about it and trust Him.....rather than not having to even think about Him because we throw up a fundraiser and get it covered because of being "popular".
I love being able to tell our simple stories of how God has provided for us to bring home 9 children...my husband pastoring for 20 years in rural areas with no major income....and now adopting Nehemiah which was almost $10,000 with no 'income' at all. We live by faith now...there is no paycheck.
And as I look back on the season of bringing 4 home in a bit over a couple of years and that being just over $100,000 and can say from the bottom of my heart...It was ONLY Him who provided and He gets all the praise, all the honor and all the glory... He is faithful and that's exactly what a Memorial Box is for - reminding us of the faithfulness of God.
Thank you so much for sharing- we will pray that God will continue to provide every.single.penny. to bring home Katie and Luke.