“Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” Psalm 119:35
I have always known I was a bit stubborn, at least that is what my Dad has always told me. Let’s be real, I get it honest (sorry, Dad but its true). But never would I have imagined I would have taken so long to come to the realization that, yes, in fact I have put God in a box. Naively, I thought Mercy would be a place of impossibility and out of that God will do an amazing work, and still it may be so, but never did I let myself believe that Mercy could be more than just a place for an adoption. Never did it cross my mind that Mercy Ministries is a catalyst to my passion of walking through life and transforming young hurting girls. Not for one moment did I think that I wasn’t placing my full trust in a God that is way bigger than my own tiny little plan. When a friend of mine told me she was praying I would “Let God out of the box I put Him in”, I actually felt offended! *I am sorry, Beverly, for not trusting in your wisdom.* I knew that God was leading us to Mercy, and He is, but little did I realize the reason of Him leading us there – I pigeonholed him into adoption when He was trying to show me a bigger picture. I have since started grad school (yes, I said grad school) with the hopes of one day being a Licensed Professional Counselor focusing on the hearts of young girls. Gratefully, I have a side job that allows me to make the extra money needed to pay tuition. Do you guys see a connection here? Maybe one day I can be a small part of a ministry similar to Mercy. Who knows? I am sure I will never be able to guess where this story will lead.
After my last post I mentioned to several folks that it would have to be a divine transformation for me to even consider fundraising. I’m not saying I am 100% sold on the idea of fundraising right now, but I know that I am no longer worried about the money. Growing up I remember my Dad saying, “Baby, I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world”, and I know he meant it. I can only imagine that once we are holding our baby for the first time we will not care how much money we had to spend to get to that moment. How can you put a price on that kind of gift? At that moment, all of my worries about money melted away. If we have to get a loan to pay for it all then that is what we will do. This is a baby we are talking about, OUR child that we will one day hold in our arms and say, “Baby, I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world”. Why have I been so worried about the financial part for so long? Why couldn’t I trust Him with that? I can honestly say, since we have made a decision that changes our whole journey, all of the burden I have felt has miraculously lifted. This leads me to our announcement…
On Sunday, October 18th, Andy and I completed our application to work with Christian Adoption Consultants. Not only will we have the benefit of a multi-agency approach but also we will have a personal adviser to help us through this process. Proverbs 15:21 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed”. I am so thankful for our new relationship with our consultant, Gretchen! Yes, it is more expensive than going through one agency. Yes, it is stressful to think of the money involved and the risk that we are taking. However, despite our concerns, we both feel excited and delighted to know we are one step closer to finding Baby Butler. Since we have completed our Home Study and our Profile book we are technically active as a waiting family! Mercy and recent relationships have validated our desire for an Open Adoption and one where the birth mom is an important part of our lives. We think of her daily. Please join me in praying for her.
This does not mean we have severed our relationship with Mercy. We will remain on their waiting list and I have no doubt my passion for their mission will continue to grow. Please continue to pray for them and the amazing work they are doing.
I have no idea how this adoption journey will end but I know that God is good and no matter what, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future and life is worth living just because He lives.”
Thank you all for your ongoing support and love!
In case you are not familiar with Christian Adoption Consultants, you can just click on their name which will lead to their website. I am also attaching a story that was shown on ABC News not long ago about a photographer who documented a couple’s journey to meet their newborn baby.
I have always known I was a bit stubborn, at least that is what my Dad has always told me. Let’s be real, I get it honest (sorry, Dad but its true). But never would I have imagined I would have taken so long to come to the realization that, yes, in fact I have put God in a box. Naively, I thought Mercy would be a place of impossibility and out of that God will do an amazing work, and still it may be so, but never did I let myself believe that Mercy could be more than just a place for an adoption. Never did it cross my mind that Mercy Ministries is a catalyst to my passion of walking through life and transforming young hurting girls. Not for one moment did I think that I wasn’t placing my full trust in a God that is way bigger than my own tiny little plan. When a friend of mine told me she was praying I would “Let God out of the box I put Him in”, I actually felt offended! *I am sorry, Beverly, for not trusting in your wisdom.* I knew that God was leading us to Mercy, and He is, but little did I realize the reason of Him leading us there – I pigeonholed him into adoption when He was trying to show me a bigger picture. I have since started grad school (yes, I said grad school) with the hopes of one day being a Licensed Professional Counselor focusing on the hearts of young girls. Gratefully, I have a side job that allows me to make the extra money needed to pay tuition. Do you guys see a connection here? Maybe one day I can be a small part of a ministry similar to Mercy. Who knows? I am sure I will never be able to guess where this story will lead.
After my last post I mentioned to several folks that it would have to be a divine transformation for me to even consider fundraising. I’m not saying I am 100% sold on the idea of fundraising right now, but I know that I am no longer worried about the money. Growing up I remember my Dad saying, “Baby, I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world”, and I know he meant it. I can only imagine that once we are holding our baby for the first time we will not care how much money we had to spend to get to that moment. How can you put a price on that kind of gift? At that moment, all of my worries about money melted away. If we have to get a loan to pay for it all then that is what we will do. This is a baby we are talking about, OUR child that we will one day hold in our arms and say, “Baby, I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world”. Why have I been so worried about the financial part for so long? Why couldn’t I trust Him with that? I can honestly say, since we have made a decision that changes our whole journey, all of the burden I have felt has miraculously lifted. This leads me to our announcement…
On Sunday, October 18th, Andy and I completed our application to work with Christian Adoption Consultants. Not only will we have the benefit of a multi-agency approach but also we will have a personal adviser to help us through this process. Proverbs 15:21 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed”. I am so thankful for our new relationship with our consultant, Gretchen! Yes, it is more expensive than going through one agency. Yes, it is stressful to think of the money involved and the risk that we are taking. However, despite our concerns, we both feel excited and delighted to know we are one step closer to finding Baby Butler. Since we have completed our Home Study and our Profile book we are technically active as a waiting family! Mercy and recent relationships have validated our desire for an Open Adoption and one where the birth mom is an important part of our lives. We think of her daily. Please join me in praying for her.
This does not mean we have severed our relationship with Mercy. We will remain on their waiting list and I have no doubt my passion for their mission will continue to grow. Please continue to pray for them and the amazing work they are doing.
I have no idea how this adoption journey will end but I know that God is good and no matter what, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future and life is worth living just because He lives.”
Thank you all for your ongoing support and love!
In case you are not familiar with Christian Adoption Consultants, you can just click on their name which will lead to their website. I am also attaching a story that was shown on ABC News not long ago about a photographer who documented a couple’s journey to meet their newborn baby.