Faith like a Child

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18: 3-4

We can learn so much from our children. They have a spirit that is full of hope and ideals, unmarked by the disappointments and "realistic" expectations of this world. When a dream or idea pops in their head they charge ahead to see it fulfilled. There are no excuses or fears ...you simply pray and go for it. We see this from our own children all the time. This has been especially true with our adoption. From the beginning there was no question in their minds whether this was a good plan for our family. For them it was quite simple...there is a need....we love kids....let's adopt.  Rocky and I would explain all the obstacles and hurdles we would have to overcome but it didn't matter, they seemed to have an answer for them all. They prayed, wrote us letters and explained to us how we would fulfill this dream. I am so thankful for their faith, for their humbleness. They believe without doubt that God will answer our prayers. I need more of that. There is a road marked out for us and my eyes need to stay focused above all else on Him. I have my moments of fear and doubt. Are we really being called to bring a child from across the world home to join our family? Are we equipped to handle all the unknowns? Will we be able to raise the funds? How will I handle leaving my kids twice to travel? The list goes on. But in these moments I also find a peace and comfort when I take these burdens and lay them at His feet. It is then and only then that the call becomes so simple....just follow. There  is a need....we love kids...we want to be obedient....let's adopt!

It has been such a joy to watch not only our own kiddos' hearts expand as we venture down this path but also those around us. The weekend of our garage sale Maggie had two friends here almost the entire, rainy time pitching in and helping out. Friends and cousins are sporting their adoption rocks t-shirts and spreading the word. And just yesterday I got a letter in the mail that brought me to tears. It was a card and a check from our dear family friend Emma. She wrote to tell us how their neighborhood had a garage sale and her and a friend set up a lemonade stand to earn some money during the sale. At the end of the day they split their earnings. The friend donated her money to help children with cancer and our sweet friend donated her money to help bring Henry home. Emma is eleven. I'm sure Emma could have thought of dozens of wonderful things to spend her money on but she didn't...she sacrificed for our son. Wow! What a precious gift. Emma, we are so grateful for your heart and please know that you are helping us get closer to our boy! Thank you for not only helping our adoption but for being a beautiful example!

We can learn so much from our children. For them it's really quite simple. Amelia and I recently had a conversation about taking care of those in need. We were talking about how God wants us to help those without families, or food or homes. And in her matter-of-fact response she said "that's why we're 'dopting' our little brother and when Henry gets home we're gonna make him some sugar pancakes." So simple...so much faith. Make me like her~