Signs, Signs, Everywhere Are Signs

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord." Isaiah 55:8

Our home study update is complete!! Whoop Whoop! So now the WAIT begins. We are getting very good at waiting...God has this - this is all His timing, all for His purposes and we are here to be obedient and carry out His call for our family. I have had a strange feeling that our world may be getting ready to rock and roll. A very dear friend and I were praying and she looks at me and says, "are you guys trying for twins?" No...I said. She said very seriously, "I see two children for you guys." I was like, right - little man, and the one we are working on bringing home. "No - two in addition to little man." I was like yeah...ha, ha, funny funny!! There's no way for several reasons. I continued to NOT think anything about it. Our minds were set on a family of four.

That was until I was sitting in the summit in MN last week. I heard one of the speakers say something interesting...he first said that he believes that women hear from God a lot sooner than men do on adoption. Will agrees with him!! But there was something else - we can make all these lists of why we can't adopt more than one, financially, we'll be the parents with the walkers at the kids graduations, etc...etc... but those are all selfish, fleshy reasons, they are not reasons that God has given. After putting ourselves aside, we need to ask why wouldn't we? After hearing this, I saw that number 2 in my head and recalled my dear friend and what she said and my eyes filled with tears. It became real to me.

The number three. I had the same themed encounter three times on Saturday as I travelled home from the summit...God, are you trying to say something to me? You definitely have my attention!

I just returned from the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit meeting in Minneapolis. Wow - I know why I was there - God had so much waiting for me there - He gave me a very clear "next vision" and directive for Passion1.27 and it was soooo cool! I met a lot of wonderful people who have similar ministries as well as connected with big organizations who offer different types of partnerships...it was awesome. The praise and worship time was fabulous - we had the opportunity to worship with Steven Curtis Chapman on Thursday night. I even sat right next to Steven and Mary Beth during one of the breakout sessions! It was soooo cool!

I met a lot of other adoptive families too - struck up a conversation with a really nice woman and come to find out they adopted their son from Ethiopia. I was really happy for her and her story - and the photos of her son are adorable! What a cutie!! I heard of more stories, and talked to more people who adopted from Ethiopia...I don't know if it's the "in" country to adopt from or what, but everyone I talk to is or has adopted from Ethiopia. I wasn't second guessing our decision to change to domestic - I was just remembering that God has a plan for us and Ethiopia and I don't know what that is at this point.

The conference came to a close and I had a wonderful time with God and all that He had in store for me there...all the things He gave me to use in His ministry Passion1.27. It was time to take all of that great information, pack it into my bag, head home and unpack it here and put it to work.

I had to take a cab to the airport Saturday morning and I had a sweet 66 year old cab driver. We struck up a conversation and soon into it, he blurts out that he is from Ethiopia. So we have this conversation and as we are approaching the airport he says he is going to give me his home phone number and cell phone number in Ethiopia. He also gave me his number in Minneapolis and asked me to please stay in touch and he would be happy to help us any way he could when we go to Ethiopia. Encounter #1...but he was very sincere and insistent!

OK, so I was paying attention to God speaking - but WHAT is He saying?

I am on the plane, reading my book...Red Letters Living a Faith That Bleeds by Tom Davis.
This is a full flight - I offered to trade my seat with a young girl so she could sit with her grandmother...I traded my aisle seat for the middle seat - I didn't mind at all - a young girl felt safe and secure near her grandmother and that mattered most to me. So sitting two rows in front of me is an all American family with two small boys. After a while the boys want to move and walk around so the dad gets up to walk with one of the boys. He stands up, and I look up from my book. I said out loud - "You have got to be kidding me". The man stands up and turns - there emblazoned on his shirt is an outline of Africa and has the colors of the Ethiopian flag inside the outline. Encounter #2. Ok, God...I AM listening!

We finally arrive in Atlanta, I have to SPRINT to the next gate - I have exactly 25 minutes to make it there...and this is going to be close! Long story, I miss the flight, have to be on standby for the next flight, but booked on the third flight and will get home 4 hours later than scheduled...along with 15 other people who missed the same flight. As I look around at the other people, there's a family of 4 - small boy, young woman, young man, and an older man. I don't pay much attention to them except that the young woman is clearly upset that the flight left without all these people and the entire gate area knew it. I proceed to wait at the next gate to see if I get on - while I am there this family of four come to the gate area too (more relaxed now) and the young woman picks the seat right behind me. The little boy comes over to her, jumps in her lap and wraps his loving arms around his mommy. I turned and struck up a conversation...she proceeds to tell me that she and her ex-husband adopted her son...from...Ethiopia. So we talk adoption, I share a little of our story, etc..etc...and I could go on and on...but this is the third Ethiopia encounter throughout my travels home.

God knows I am dense - He knows I need a billboard to understand him. I also know that there is no such things as coincidences - God is in everything. He definitely has a plan for us and Ethiopia - and we are praying for clarity on this. We are walking this out, one foot in front of the other and not getting ahead of God. He continues to show us/me GRACE when we/I try to get ahead of Him.

Please continue to pray with us...and for all four (or five) of us, or for what God has planned for us and Ethiopia. We have enough seats around the table, enough food, enough clothing, and enough space in our house and a lot of love in our hearts. Our list of reasons why we can't is just that - our list. God can do anything He wants - he made the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear - He's God. If we are willing to allow Him to work, He can make anything happen according to His list of reasons why we should.