Into the Darkness

It is a surreal week for us. 

Back in March, Rob and the boys committed to being in a musical - Suessical.  Rob was asked to be Horton and the boys were cast as the Wickersham brothers.  I do the backstage managing.  Unfortunately none of these roles are easily replaced.  There are no understudies.

Crazy.

So here we are - in the midst of loss - going to practice each night - because the shows must go on and opening night is Friday night.  We are literally going through the motions.  All of us in shock and weary to the bone.  Yet life goes on.  Faithfully doing what we committed to doing.  It is a strange, sad, unreal week. 

And on top of our grief here and the chaos of our schedule, across the globe a little boy is going to have his life completely changed tomorrow and I am breaking down at the thought.  I can't get my head and heart around what is happening over there.

Brady - my precious Brady.

His family is meeting him tomorrow.

Dear Lord.

The Hartmans stepped out in faith last November after we came out yelling at the top of our lungs and after Brady's picture and story spread across the internet. 

And they are meeting him. TOMORROW.

For the first time in his life, when he reaches his arms up to be held, he will have a MOMMY to reach back. 

A year ago he was transferred to the place of no return. 

No one had ever been adopted out of that place. 

A village out in the middle of nowhere. 

Brady stood NO CHANCE of ever ever ever leaving.

BUT GOD.

God made the way.  He gets all the glory.  Our son is out and now Brady follows.

BUT NOT WITHOUT PRAYER.

Please understand.  The battle has not been won.

When Rob's dad died on Sunday, the timing of his death knocked us off our feet on many many levels.   I had planned on blogging about Brady on Monday and every day this week.  I had planned on raising up prayer support with a vengeance.  The Hartmans are going into the darkness.  A little light has been shed there because of our adoption.  But not enough.  Not enough.  It is a bleak and dreary place.  

There is so much I need to share.

There is so much that I have held off saying.

Waiting for this week.  Waiting to call the church to prayer. 

The timing is hard.  My heart is torn.

Despite our loss and grief this week - I wrote the Hartman's on Monday and promised her that she would NOT be abandoned.  What they are doing is too important - too precious to set aside.

So I am asking.  From the depths of my heart.  Please pray for the Hartmans.  Please pray for Brady (Judd).  Please pray. 

Please let the Hartmans know you are praying for them.   Their blog is HERE.  This morning on Melanie's post she indicated that at their SDA meeting this morning they saw a picture of Brady that was taken in September.  SEPTEMBER.  That was PRECIOUS news to us.  We begged.  We pleaded.  We asked over and over for the director to keep Brady and Heath available for adoption. 

SHE KEPT HER PROMISE.

I cannot begin to express how much that news means to us.  It is profound.  Our last day at the institute - Aaron's Gotcha Day - was hard.  Unbelievably hard.  It is a story I have yet to share.  One of those raw, painful memories that causes deep grief to remember.  We look back upon that day with much bitterness of spirit.  

Aaron was the first child adopted out of that institute and they didn't want to let him go.  Emotions were high.  The director was upset and we were caught in a storm on that day that hurt deep.  For four hours we waited in chaos and confusion.  One of these days I will share our agony as we sat on a bench outside the director's office on Aaron's Gotcha Day.  One of these days. 

Today - I share this:  The director hated cameras.  She hated that we took pictures.  Yet in the end, she let us take a picture of her with Aaron.

And in the end, after we walked out of that institute with our son, she got a camera and she took Brady's picture.  SHE TOOK HIS PICTURE. 

Yesterday, at the SDA meeting, the Hartmans saw THAT PICTURE.

Be still my soul.

To GOD be the GLORY!

Tomorrow she meets the Hartman family.  Another crazy family wanting one of HER boys.  She doesn't understand.  It scares her.  But they have a gift for her from us.  Tomorrow she gets to see OUR SON in pictures.  Happy. Healthy.  She will see his FLAT FEET.  She will see pictures of him eating with a utensil.  She will see pictures of him with his brothers.  

She will see THERE IS HOPE.  She will see that we kept OUR promise.  We told her we would find Brady and Heath families. 

Brady has one.

Heath still needs one.

PLEASE PRAY.  Please lift up the Hartmans in prayer.  The coming days and weeks will be HARD on them.  They left their children at home for an indefinite period of time.  They are going to a village that is far different from anything they have ever encountered before.  It is lonely there.  It is confusing and difficult.  There are many many unknowns.  They have not raised all the funds they need for this adoption and it weighs heavy on their hearts.  They need prayers.  They need support.  They need to know that we are behind them. 

Please pray church.