Baby steps... no pun intended.
I'm the type of person, that when we decide something, I want to do it or get started "yesterday". It doesn't help that this is a long process to begin with. I feel like everyday we're making it longer when we don't DO something.
We've chosen to hold off on signing with an agency till we have enough funds not to put ourselves in debt. Hence the pallets. And I've prayed with an open heart that God put us here and He will provide.
I've been in a Beth Moore Deuteronomy study about God "Bringing 'us' (Moses and his people) OUT, to bring us IN" And we started this study at the beginning right before Kirk said, "Let's do it"! But it's applied so much to where we (our family) is right now in our walk with God. Being able to feel like God had us go through hard times, so we could fine tune our hearts and ears on Him, and be obedient in doing what He'd ask of us.
So as we said "yes" to God and we find out how much adoption could cost, then put our foot on the breaks a little. We can't go into debt here. So our prayer becomes where is this money going to be coming from? We look at what we have, that's not locked up in 401Ks etc. There was a part in the study that was about "protecting" yourself
out of your calling from the Lord. God doesn't ask you to do something wonderful, in the end to put you in a place of misery. But we don't want to over "protect" what we have right now, to miss what He wants for us through this adoption.
So say we have X (still undetermined) amount to put forward, we still know we need 2X or even 3X to be where we feel comfortable to start signing papers.
So we keep praying. And I keep in this Beth Moore study. And we talk about this "manna" God sends down to His people. This fully made bread type of food, ready to be eaten. Okay God, where's our "manna"? Where's this money coming from? Start raining money... this is your will, that we do this....
But in the Promised Land they weren't just given everything perfectly made, ready to eat... but they were given all the pieces to work for what they needed.
So as you guys know, I started a couple pallets a few weeks ago, not knowing where it would lead. And each week, I've been filling orders. Not so many that it has overwhelmed me all at once, but a constant flow of "You've (God) given me the tools, now I can produce the product that can carry us through, little by little." I am so thankful for each pallet project that I've made, b/c I love to be crafty, but also because yet again, I'm doing something I would have never thought I'd be doing. And I love seeing God continue to work. Some have asked how many I've made, and I haven't been keeping up with the number of pallets, but rather the number in the bank. In three and a half short weeks, we've received about $1000! I'm amazed that I could do that!
So, you've read my little Bible study lesson to wonder what the news is...Our little step forward is that we finally set up a specific adoption bank account in which we have linked PayPal! I've learned to celebrate the little things, because a lot of little turns into a big! People ask us where we are in the adoption process. And I've been saying- since the government is on break, we're waiting to see what happens in the new year. How much insurance will cost, how much taxes we will get back, if there will be an adoption tax exemption renewal. But all that won't stop us from adopting. We are moving forward! We won't let the craziness of this worldly life stop us from what God wants for us.
If you'd like a pallet for our fundraiser, please let me know! (Shipping is too costly) But if you'd like to donate and can't receive a pallet, you now have a way to do so! Thank you everyone! God is using you in His mighty plans for this "soon-enough-to-be" child. And I can't wait to watch God bring us OUT of this place we've been in, to bring us IN to something more wonderful!
