A broken heart

For about four years now God has put the love of orphans on my heart and giving him all the glory, he has lead us to adopt. But with this, comes the reality. And it is haunting...

• The reality that approximately 24,000 children are STARVING to DEATH every day. Once you really grasp that concept, you will never forget it.
  

• The reality that babies are being abandoned on the streets because there is no food.

• The reality that moms and dads have no choice but to give their precious children away.

• The reality that even though God has led us to adopt, our little boys will grieve and suffer tremendously before we get to bring them home.

• The reality that today, we don't know where our boys are, who is caring for them, if they are being fed, clothed, loved.

• The reality that this is going to be really hard.

I haven't felt this way, or thought this deep in quite some time. Today my heart is literally broken and aching. I don't know what is going on, but recently, I feel like something is happening, like our boys are at a critical time right now, that they are grieving, feeling abandoned, lost and lonely. Please pray for them, that they would feel God's comfort and hope and peace.

But God works in awesome ways. After taking the kids to school, I was planning on going to work out this morning, but an awful pain in my hip kept me up overnight, so I came home and decided to lay low instead. I caught up on some of my favorite blogs and turned on Family Life Today. I love that program so much, but don't listen as often as I used to. Today the program happened to be about adoption, go figure, with one story specifically about adoption from Ethiopia. I cried through most of it, BUT GOD was speaking to me, just when I needed it and was feeling at my lowest.

• God has promised that he will protect our boys.

• God has promised he will be with our family through this all; financially, emotionally, physically, spiritually.

• God has promised that he will draw us even closer to him through the adoption, that our faith will grow, that we will share his son Jesus with those who are lost- what a blessing to us!

• God has promised this adoption will bless us, and those around us as much as it will bless the boys: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

• God has promised that even though this will be hard, we can cast all of our worries and anxieties on him and he will care for us. 1 Peter 5:7

• God has shown us that only $38.00 a month + (plus) prayer - (minus) one meal out to eat for our family of 5 = (equals) supporting a little boy named Isreal and his family of 9 for an entire month. (food, medicine, clothing, education, home supplies, etc.)

• God has taken away our urge for many of the "must have" earthly desires, because he has shown us the true desire of our hearts; "defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy, deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4

GOD IS AWESOME!!!

If you have the opportunity to check it out- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE listen to Family Life Today's radio broadcast. Please continue to pray if you feel led to adopt, or sponsor a child, or give financially to an orphanage, or look into foster care. You never know what God can do through you unless you ask!

On a happy note- we are now officially number 26 on the sibling waiting list!

AND...

Today is my precious little one's birthday. Before I had my children, my younger sister Kara was "my little one". She is 35 today and is as beautiful as ever, inside and out. She is my only sibling and God got it right when he created her! She is supportive, honest, loving, caring, humble, dedicated, feisty. She motivates me to be a better person and loves me unconditionally. Thank you my dear, sweet sister, my best friend. I love you! Happy Birthday!