Answered Prayer

It's funny how clearly we can see answers to prayer when we step out in faith.

I hate to talk too much about money (it makes everyone a bit uncomfortable, right?), but unfortunately, money is a rather large part of the adoption process.  It also provides an avenue for the Lord to make His provision abundantly clear.

We really stepped out on faith financially this time--more than we've ever done before (which to spell it out for you means we have less money saved than we ever had in any of our other adoption journeys).  I have to admit I thought we might receive some assistance from our local church and we swallowed our pride to share all the details with the leadership only to have them say they would not be assisting us financially at all.  The first time we've ever asked for any help and we get a flat no.  Discouraging, to say the least.

We even went through a couple days wondering if we should be on this journey again after all.  We  had prayed for the Lord's guidance and discernment all along the way, but we were second guessing.  Maybe this is just foolish to step so far out in faith.  Besides, we have five kids already.  And we will be almost 60 years old by the time this child is of an age to be independent.

Oh, the father of lies is sneaky, sneaky. 

But we talked with an older brother in the Lord for whom we have utmost respect and he was only encouraging.  When Alan came right out and asked if he thought we were being foolish, he adamantly replied "No."  He asserted that this child needs a home and he or she needs to be in our home.  Encouraged (that is, filled with courage), we continued onward.  We've been praying for discernment, for provision, for trust and peace.

The Lord then proceeded to be so kind as to give us three affirmations that we are following Him and that He will provide.   I just have to record these so I don't forget them, so I can glorify the Lord, and so I can revisit them at some time in the future when I need to be reminded of His provision.

1. First, our former church in Missouri before we moved to Iowa sent us an unsolicited check for $1,000 when we shared the good news with them.
2. Next, we were leaving a friend's house and he pulled Alan aside to ask (again, unsolicited) if we would please let him be a part of our adoption journey.  He would like to buy one of our plane tickets to travel to Phoenix to pick up the baby (I'm guessing this will cost around $500 as we don't know the exact date Abigail will go into labor so we can't get tickets ahead of time).
3. Third, Alan has been serving as the Operations Manager over two branches at his job the last few months while a co-worker is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.  The end of last week his boss was thanking him for the job he has been doing and told him he would be receiving a bonus this week.  "I think you will be very happy with it," were the exact words.  I don't yet know the amount of this bonus, but I know every dollar of it will be applied toward adoption costs.

Doesn't that sound like answers to prayer to you?  The Lord is going to provide, yet again!

It's humbling (but not humiliating) to think He cares so much for me to move His people to answer my prayer.  I must admit it's not as easy for me to be a recipient as it is to be the giver, but I know how the Lord works.  He uses our needs to grow us--both the person receiving and the person who has the opportunity to be used by the Lord to meet a need.

Really, isn't it neat to think that the Lord allows us to be used to answer someone else's prayer?  It convicts me to continue walking in the Spirit (as Paul encouraged in Galatians) heeding the nudge to give, to make that call to a lonely person, to send that card of encouragement or friendship, to make a second lasagna to share.