WHEN GOD KNOCKS

10 days until we meet our daughter Molly Grace Li. I am in AWE!

Awe of how our lives have changed in the short time since seeing our daughter’s face for the first time. Bill and I are better people, changed people, because of her. She has already been a blessing to us! Growing us in our marriage and faith!

If you had asked me a year and a half ago if we would ever adopt again. The answer would have been “I would love to one day…when Lilian is older, finances are right, vacations have been taken, dreams have been fulfilled. And Bill? He is definitely done and I am fine with that.”

But then spring came…

and Lucy would ask for a sister her age, we would pray to open hearts, if that was where God wanted us.

Then summer came…

and I prayed the same myself.

Then fall came…

and I started hearing about a little girl who knew Jesus on the other side of the world, a little girl who needed a family.

I sent a blog post about this sweet girl to Bill, usually this would have ended with a “Yea, I saw it, she was cute.” But this time? This time?

He said, “So, bottom line, how much would it be?” then left to go jogging. On his return he asked if I wanted to get more information. Did I?? Butterflies swirled in my stomach, I could not believe what I was hearing! Get it? Only God could do this! But then my saner side thought absolutely not, she was in a wheelchair, a special need too BIG for our family!

But…she was now imbedded in both our hearts.

AND THEN GOD STARTED KNOCKING…

In our BSF lecture I hear:

He will call you and communicate in ways that you are able to understand. He will not call you until you are ready to listen.

I was reading Radical by David Platt…enough said!

Our sermon series at church was Reaction… stepping out of your comfort zone when called, take risks for our love of God, it may be a little uncomfortable but are we willing to step out?

During quiet time one day I opened my Bible and this popped out at me:

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.

It did not make sense that we were drawn to this little girl with a wheelchair. It would be too hard. Our life is easy now. Our kids are more independent.

GOD CONTINUED TO KNOCK LOUD AND CLEAR…

Received an email…Plain as day:

God does not call the equipped, He equips those He calls.

Called a wonderful friend and was talking to her about maybe adopting this little girl and she reminded me of a time when she had first met me in college and I told her I would not mind having a child in a wheelchair, Huh? Really?

I do remember faithfully watching the CP Telethons on tv when I was young.

I do remember always wanting to sit behind a family at church because they had adopted many special needs kids.

I do remember begging my mom to adopt.

I do remember telling Bill when I was pregnant with our first that if God gave us a physically handicapped child I would be fine with it. Huh? Really?

“Karen” was my favorite book and I loved Clara from “Heidi”

Met a friend for lunch to specifically discuss adopting this girl and minutes after we sat down, a man in a wheelchair came through the door and sat at the table next to us.

The words to My Own Little World by Matthew West really sink in…

What if there is a bigger picture

What if I am missing out

What if there’s a greater purpose

I could be living right now

Outside my own little word

We needed an orthopedic doctor and a radiologist to look at paperwork…

friends, check.

Met a pediatric physical therapist in BSF, check.

HMMM? The BSF lecture kept coming back to me:

He will speak to you in ways you can understand but we must be ready to listen.

People, music, now that is my language, He was speaking to me and He had already gotten Bill on board! Bill was right there solving all the problems I threw at him about adopting a child in a wheelchair.

And so we prayed and discussed, prayed and discussed, and prayed and fell more in love with this little girl we had never met.

GOD CONTINUED TO KNOCK AND OPEN DOORS

AND THEN:

On October 26, 2010 we submitted our application to adopt this little girl.

On October 26, 2011 we leave for China to meet our sweet daughter, Molly.

Gotta love God’s Confirmation!!