How Refreshing

I'm home.  After three days away from my dear "men" I am grateful to be home.

But I didn't sleep in this morning even though it is rainy, dreary and cold here.

Honestly, I never sleep in.  Muscle aches and pains drive me out of bed early each morning but that is NOT why I was up early this morning.

I was a woman on a mission.  A yard sale.

Not just any yard sale though.... this was an ADOPTION YARDSALE.

I did not know personally the people who were adopting but had heard about them through some friends.  So I grabbed my morning coffee coke and hit the road.  I'll stand in support of anyone who chooses to cliff jump and if they are in my neck of the woods, I'm a woman on a mission.

I arrived at the church, walked inside, stood in the middle of the sanctuary that was filled to the BRIM with donated items and came close to losing it right there.

Stunned awe.

How refreshing, Church, how refreshing.

A building filled with donated items from 50 DIFFERENT FAMILIES.  A ton of volunteers, all wearing red shirts, who gave up their Saturday morning sleep-in to stand beside a couple in their decision to adopt.

HOW REFRESHING, CHURCH, HOW REFRESHING.

So many in the adoption world cliff jump without anyone standing on the side cheering them on.  So many in the adoption world scrimp and save and go into enormous debt to bring home their treasures without anyone in their immediate world donating to help relieve their financial burden.  So many in the adoption world sit quietly in church Sunday after Sunday with no one willing to rally around them, pray for them, support them. So many are alone in the adoption world.  So many.

How refreshing to stand in the midst of a building and feel God's Presence in that place.  How sweet to walk among the different volunteers and see the light of Christ shining around them as they gave of their time and energy.

How refreshing.

I get so dismayed and discouraged at times when I receive e-mails from different families who have felt cut-off and unsupported by their church body after they announce their intentions to adopt.   I get deeply saddened to hear the stories of families who feel so utterly alone and misunderstood. 

But today - this morning - I was refreshed.  I was encouraged.  I called Rob while I stood in the middle of that floor and I shared with him my awe and utter joy at seeing the support this couple is receiving. 

I was able to meet them, encourage them and let them know I am praying.

I drove away and cried.  Tears of joy and tears of gratefulness.  Glad that I was able, in a very tiny way, to let them know that I care and that I too am standing and cheering them on as they jump off the cliff.

---------

On another entirely different note but one that also brings the tears of joy and gratefulness....

Though Aaron wasn't in the orphanage when we adopted him - He was the FIRST RR child to be listed on Reece's Rainbow from his orphanage.  After he was listed a whole host of other children were also listed and at least 18 families have crossed the ocean to bring home a whole lot of precious treasures from that orphanage.

19 families with ONE thing in common - our children were raised in the same building. 

We wanted to give back.  We wanted to give the 115 children left behind a Christmas to remember.

So we decided to fill shoe boxes that the director promised would go directly to the children.

None of us are rich.  None of us have a ton of money.  But all of us left our hearts across the ocean and all of us worry over and pray for the precious treasures we left behind.  This was one small way that we could give to them. 

19 Mamas.  Could we fill 115 boxes?

Get ready to cry.....

At last count, 189 boxes have arrived at Michelle Enskat's house.

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-NINE FILLED BOXES.

And more are still arriving.

All the children in Aaron's baby house orphanage will receive a Christmas box.  EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!!!

PLUS all the children in one, possibly two OTHER orphanages in that area will ALSO receive a Christmas box.

Around 200 children across the ocean are going to get a Christmas box.

200 children.

Christmas.

How refreshing, Church, how refreshing.