He got his wish. Here is the blog.
It's Anna's and Brynn's gotcha day. And for those of you who aren't fluent in adoption speak that is the day they were legally declared our kids. It is the anniversary of the day in which a new family member joins the family in the adoption process.
2006
Ben and I sat in a Russian hotel room rehearsing what we were going to say in court to the judge. We were given instructions like, "only let the man speak, don't cross your legs, its a sign of disrespect and only speak when spoken to." I was terrified. Thoughts flooded my mind. What if I do something wrong? What if the judge doesn't award us custody. We had waited and prayed and traveled far. The what ifs got the best of me. Looking back on that day, I see that God had gone before us. He had planned and orchestrated and that was the only way I was sitting in a courtroom in Siberia, a million miles from home, waiting to be given my children, the girls who would make me a mother for the first time. Something I didn't understand then, that I do now, is that God started my motherhood journey in the heart of their birth mother. She chose life for them, despite hardships and poverty and singleness. It would have been easier to end her pregnancy. Now that I have carried children of my own, I am not lost on how brave that decision was. I have no doubt that God stirred her heart for my benefit. I will never be able to thank her enough for the immense gift she gave me in Anna and Brynn.
Ben is correct, nine years have flown by. They were two years old when we landed in the United States. They had never been in a home with lamps and phones and a refrigerator with an automatic water and ice dispenser. They made it their business to check all that stuff out, immediately. They were not interested in eating anything with texture. We spent countless hours getting them to taste food. I thought at times I could not keep up. Their lively personalities, energetic spirits and curiosity kept Ben and me on our toes. Fast forward to today. They are soccer stars, loved by many and they have made the most important decision of their lives by giving their hearts to the Lord. They are total slobs and God has used them to teach me self control when I walk into their room everyday. They are witty, sweet, kind and helpful. They have hearts of gold. They are opinionated and strong and they are mine. I see God's hand in it all and I can't wait to stand back and watch how God uses my precious girls. Anna and Brynn had a less than perfect beginning. They were throw aways in a a society where orphans have a stigma, with little hope. God plucked them straight out of the darkness and gave them new life, literally and figuratively.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20
We (I'm preaching to myself) so often put God in a box, we are unable to fathom the plans He has for us and the works of His hand. We doubt His timing and His sovereignty . We make ourselves unavailable because we are scared to be uncomfortable. I pray my story gives hope and challenges you to trust and be used. God's ways are better than our ways. We don't know the end of the story.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither your ways my ways ," declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8
Today, I'm looking through pictures of our 2 journeys to Russia and back. I'm remembering the laughter, the tears, the hard times, the doubts, the food, the airplane rides and the moment of being ushered out of the orphanage with two toddlers, I had only met once before. The love I felt for them immediately was supernatural. It has been messy and challenging and fun and I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. I am thankful for what God has taught us through the years through our precious daughters.
September 4, 2006 was a divine appointment and God was with us every step of the way.
