While other friends prayed along with me that our hearts would be open to whatever God's will was for us, God was at work in ways both that were obvious and not so obvious to me. I was in Nashville feeling as though God was shouting about adoption to me. I would take the kids to gymnastics, and I would see a banner for "Show Hope," the foundation started by the Chapman family to help orphans and aid in adoption expenses. I would turn on the radio and hear an advertisement for Compassion International. I would have a conversation, and it would always seem to turn to the topic of adoption. I would walk past the front desk at the YMCA, and an ad for "Both Hands," a group that helps widows and orphans, would pop up.
Meanwhile, George was sitting at a bar in California sharing a beer with our friend Jake. Jake and George had become friends through church, where Jake was a pastor. I had gotten to know his wife Joan through our Moms' group. Jake shared with George that they were waiting on a match for a domestic adoption that would come any day. George was feeling the tug himself.
When he came home to Nashville, we committed to being prayerful and exploring the idea of adoption for our own family. Every night after putting Elliot and Gavin to bed, we found ourselves reading everything we could on the internet, requesting information from various agencies, looking at pictures and video of orphanages, and envisioning aloud how a new little person would become part of our fun, crazy family.
We began to ask others to pray for us, no longer feeling as though we needed to be completely quiet about the heavy burden on our hearts.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to Him, and He will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
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