I've mentioned before that my sister's family has been harboring some exciting news...
and the long awaited time has finally come to share what God has done!
Tracking back to September 2011, Brodie and Aida ventured to Beijing, China on a short term mission trip with All God's Children International. God had done some pretty amazing things to get them there and it's clear in retrospect that He had a sovereign plan.
It's a winding story leading up to the part where little Linda comes in and the details of God's spider web of events are truly miraculous, but in short, the Lord led us all to Linda in China because He had special things in store.
Across the globe, this precious little girl mesmerized her "uncle" Brodie and "cousin" Aida from the very first time they met her. At the time, my sister's family was waiting for an adoption referral from China and we all believed that through God's trail of events, Brodie and Aida had met their match. We longed for Linda to join our family and we rallied to bring her home. But...little did we know, someone else had already been pursuing the adoption of Linda. This was a heartbreak for us all because we had already come to love her.
Fast forward to June 2012. My sister's family had almost completed the adoption of their daughter, Joy, when they received a phone call one day that changed everything. The other end of the line delivered astonishing news that Linda's adoption had come to a halt and she was now again eligible for adoption! The question was posed, "Would your family like to adopt her?"
Um....YES?! But they were already in the middle of completing their adoption of Joy at the time, and they had spent their last penny in the process, and we had come to terms with the reality that God had closed that door to Linda (so we all thought), and their agency wouldn't allow two adoptions at once, and it would be impossible, and...
But it's Linda. Our Linda. The girl who had already stolen all of our hearts. The one we just knew was supposed to be in our family! We knew it!! But, God was waiting for the appointed time.
"Nothing will be impossible with God.”
Luke 1:37
Brodie loves to tell the story of how he was taking a group photo with his mission trip team that final day at Linda's foster home in Beijing, the day that they would leave to return home. Linda had already captured her "uncle's" heart, so when she came and tugged on his pant leg before the photo, of course he scooped her up.
As you might imagine, Linda's Uncle Brodie is just A BIT excited that this precious child who has waited so long for her very own family will now be a part of ours. We know through her foster home director that she is a dear little girl who, over the years, has watched many friends go home with their new families and nothing delights my heart more than to see her have her turn. God sets the solitary in families! He loves Linda! And, He has chosen a beloved plan for her life. When I think of the family God has chosen for her, I marvel...Linda is being prepared for a tremendous blessing!!
The time is coming soon, though she will be two years older when she comes home from the time when Brodie and Aida first met her back in 2011. Yet, God has been with Linda every day of her life. He has been with her every minute of the past two years, knowing full well the plans He's had for her all along. He has never left her and He never will.
I'm in awe of the way God orchestrated this story of the adoption of Linda...literally beginning it with a "mistaken" push of a button which "accidentally" signed up for a short term mission trip...who knew?? God did.
Clearly, He had a plan for Joy's life too as He united her with her family this past year. We realize that had my sister and her family adopted Linda right away, when they originally wanted to pursue her, they would not have been waiting for Joy and thus, they would not have found her. The way they love Joy, I cannot imagine their lives without her now. It's a reminder that God's "no's" are sometimes just "no for now's". His plans cannot be thwarted and His will will be accomplished. No obstacle can stand in His way. His timing is perfect. His ways are always wise and loving. He knows best and He longs for us to trust Him.
So, just a few months after Joy's homecoming, another little sweetheart is being readied for our family as well. Though people have warned that two adoptions in one year is inadvisable, we all believe in God's loving plan for Linda's life. We all know that He is the One who brought her to us. And, we all know that God is the One in control. He's the One who's done this, and even when we're not, HE is able.
I'm so proud of my sister and her family for following the Lord into the unknown as they push fear and "what if's" aside, as they follow the One worth following. May we never limit a limitless God and may we rely on Him in all things and accept His challenges as an opportunity to watch Him work through us.
“What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Luke 18:27
We are overjoyed to finally be able to publicly share our exciting news about Linda. This is one special, sought out little girl and she, like Joy, has some very special needs, but I can't think of a better family to care for these girls than the one God has chosen for them. Indeed, these girls are incredibly blessed!
Recently, we all had the opportunity to meet with some of those who operate the ministry where Linda lives in China. The director of Linda's foster home was visiting for her first trip to the US and we all got to have dinner together. What a gift! She shared photos dating back to Linda's infancy. She told us about her sweet personality and the affinity she has always had for Linda. She expressed her gratitude repeatedly to my sister's family that they would adopt her and the funny thing is that we're all the ones thanking them for giving us the chance!
We all feel like we're the ones who've been blessed (already!) by this little girl on the other side of the world. We're the ones who feel chosen to welcome her and care for her. Our whole family is deeply grateful to be a part of this beautiful, masterful story...the one that puts God's love on display...the one that highlights His boundless capabilities... the one that brings a precious child into a God-honoring home in a way that only He could compose.
Thank you, Lord, for giving us a glimpse into your handiwork here on earth through the story of our Linda. Thank you for caring for her heart as she awaits a homecoming of her very own. Thank you for moving in hearts and compelling ordinary people to do extraordinary things in your name. I can't wait to see what your plans hold in store for this daughter, your Linda.
(Linda in China wearing her jammies {which we have matching for Joy and three of my little girls too}. We can't wait to see them all together in them! My sister's family sent the jammies, homemade blanket, and bunny to Linda through the foster home director we met with. What a joy to receive this photo of her with her new special goodies sent with love.)
"Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars,
O Lord of hosts, my King and my God."
Psalm 84:3
