so, what about our adoption?
we still want to adopt! we still feel that God wants us to adopt! we're still open and willing to adopt! we still don't really understand why, in the course of the last 15 months, we haven't been "selected" to adopt by the state of GA. we still don't fully understand what happened with the little boy this summer. we're glad we've been in the process of adopting.
amazing incredible things that have come as a result of our adoption process:
- 2 awesome sets of bunk beds that are useful in making super amazing mega cool forts
- an increased trust in the plans of God (and a greater understanding that God's "success" can come in many different forms!!!)
- greater understanding of God's heart for the orphan
- greater understanding of our status as an adopted child in God's family (real, full, permanent!)
- the experience of being surrounded by the body of Christ in real and tangible ways
- getting to share the things we've learned and experienced with others who are adopting (or thinking about adopting)(and getting to share the books we picked up along the way!)
- one particular friendship has grown and strengthened in ways that i've prayed about for years. something special has happened as we've walked along the adoption road together (thank you, God!!!)
- the Lord has spoken to me and to friends specifically about this adoption process - anytime anyone hears from God, something successful has happened!
One of the most significant things that God did for us was to confirm Mercy Ships through a vision that He gave a friend (and He confirmed the feelings I was having in regards to our adoption process). One day at Crave I shared with the precious ladies that I was really wondering what God was up to in our adoption process...that I was feeling a bit discouraged about it all...(i didn't share this next part -- but i had been wondering if our adoption was "to be put on hold" if we were to do Mercy Ships -- at the time we still weren't certain that the Lord was leading us to Mercy Ships). So, after we were done at Crave, a friend came up and said that God gave her a picture as we were praying (now you MUST keep in mind that she did NOT know about Mercy Ships - not even a little bit). She said:
During the prayer time, I saw a picture of you standing at one end of a bridge (that went over water) and I knew the bridge was representing your adoption. It seemed clear and easy to pass over it, so I asked God, "why can't she cross it now?" in reference to going forward with the adoption process. God then showed me that it wasn't an ordinary bridge. It was a drawbridge that separated in the middle. The drawbridge then began to separate and large ships began to pass by. That was why you couldn't cross the bridge. Ships needed to get through.
I WAS AMAZED...and so thankful that God took the time to speak to a sweet sister about our adoption (and so very thankful she was willing to share something that didn't make a lick of sense to her!!!).Maybe one day our adoption process will result in a child (or children!) who's last name becomes cash...or maybe it won't...regardless, our adoption has been successful (and we will certainly welcome more success in that realm if that's what the Lord has in mind for us!!!). We have officially put our file with Bethany on "hold" - so that if the Lord brings us back and tells us to open the adoption process here back up (and if He tells us to do it with Bethany), we'll already have a lot of the foundation laid...we'll have updating to do but we won't be starting from scratch.
The Truth is that we care for orphans - very much. We want to see the lonely and the abandoned put into families - and we would LOVE it if a few of those children were put into our family. Maybe someday we'll be buying more than 5 plane tickets when we are traveling. When/if that happens is totally up to the Father who sees each of these children and knows the plans that He us for them (and for us). One thing we do know, as we go to serve with Mercy Ships we will have the opportunity to encounter orphans like never before...and we're excited to see what the Lord does in us, through us and all around us in the days, weeks, months and years to come (whether we're here or "there" or somewhere in between!).
