I don't know how to answer that question, or feel the need to answer it usually. It was not an easy or quick or reckless decision. There are so many kids this world over who need a mom and dad, it is really difficult to get the confidence to move forward on any adoption. Our story began in a moment. It was a direct calling, God said to me "this is gonna sound strange to you but I've got something you need to do, I am giving you this and have been planning this your entire life, and along the way you are gonna meet ME, and see ME like never before". Like a sudden wave of passion, a moving forward, a "must do", God put such a yearning and a passion in my heart after the first move on HIS part, that there was just no way I could say no. HE the LORD of the universe had spoken to me, encouraged me, assured me, took the time to meet me, trusted me, and of all wonderful events......given me an instruction and made me a promise. Really. It wasn't in a cloud bursting, fireworks, mountain moving way.......although along the way I have seen all this....here's the fireworks pic outside the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou China on opening night of the Asian games, the night we arrived to declare that the second son God had given us was to now be known as an American citizen...I digress only because if God wants to give me fireworks, I am gonna talk about it and I am gonna take em as a gift....here's the pic
Anyhoos,
We moved forward and never looked back. Our world was changed for the better the moment we said yes to adoption, then "yes" to a Chinese child, then "yes" to a special need Chinese child, then "yes" to another special need Chinese child, then "yes" to a special need Ethiopian child, then "yes" to another special need Chinese child, then "yes" to another special need Chinese child. And so on and so on.
Just like I try to teach my kids to take "no" for an answer sometimes. "NO"
is the answer to many questions, but for us "NO" has not been the answer when we were called to adoption. Maybe someday the answer will be "NO". In the meantime, we have said YES, and YES is exactly what we mean!
And the mountain moving........several agencies, officials, law enforcers, naysayers, money holders, taxi drivers, guides, friends, enemies, family, paper pushers, record keepers, doctors, attorneys, school officials.....well you understand, it was a MOUNTAIN to be moved with every adoption, and they ALL moved.
God spoke to me in a whisper, but when I listened, I heard.
