Hi Ladies!
It has been quite a while since I last shared anything with you on our illustrious (however unknown) blog. As most of you know, I defeated the odds and drove an ancient car--a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue--halfway across the country with a 7 year old, a 6 year old, and an infant without major incident. Yep, that was me! Crazy but Triumphant! As I'm sure you can imagine, my days were long and my adventures many. So for the next few weeks I will be sharing just a little bit about my trip.
I've decided not to share my stories in chronological order; you'll be able to see why in just a minute. So to begin, I would just like to say that this is really not my story, and my part in it is very small. But the people in this story have had a great impact on my life and I know that you will appreciate that.
So without further ado...
Four years ago my friend Amy shared with me that she believed the Lord wanted her and her husband Tim to adopt a little girl from China. Now, at the time, Amy and I were barely getting to know each other and I wondered if I would ever get to see this come true--especially because she and Tim were moving away from St. Louis to Seattle. But despite the fact that we weren't very close when she left, our friendship actually deepened as time went on. She would always visit me when she came to St. Louis, and would keep me updated on how things were going with the adoption process. Amy told me that they had already chosen a name--Hope. When we spent time together we often cried and prayed with each other, because the waiting was so hard! But finally, things started turning around for my friends. In the midst of their long wait, they became pregnant and had a baby boy in January of last year. And because of how much they loved Baby Max, I'm pretty sure it only increased their longing to bring home their little girl.
They were told by the Chinese government that they would only be allowed to choose from special needs children. They pored over images of tiny unwanted faces looking for their little girl. Incredibly, when Tim was away in Houston on business, and Amy was in their new home in Austin, they received a set of profiles; and--without consulting each other--they chose the same child! Her name was Pan Pan. When Tim had her name translated just guess what he learned. Yep, Pan Pan actually means hope! I was in tears when I got the news. I felt so privileged to watch a miracle literally unfold before my eyes. Finally, in March of this year they got to bring Hope home. In May, I got to meet Hope just briefly, but in June on our vacation, we got to visit with Tim, Amy, Max, and Hope for five days! That was so stinkin' cool!!!
Now, I mentioned before that the Chinese government would only allow children with special needs to be adopted. Hope is really a walking miracle. She was born with a large hole in her heart, so it has to work extra hard to keep the blood pumping. When she came home to Austin she weighed just 17 pounds, and was very malnourished. In order to gain weight she consumes nearly 3,000 calories a day! But thanks to the great care she is getting she now weighs about 22 pounds. Yay! But this isn't the end of the story. Until three days ago, Tim and Amy thought Hope would probably be having open heart surgery at some point in September, but after their consult with the cardiologist in Houston on Friday, it became clear that the surgery needs to happen right away. The surgery will be the day after tomorrow--Tuesday morning.
You may be wondering why I shared this story. The most obvious reason is that I truly want everyone I know to be praying for my friends and their little girl--especially while she is on the operating table on Tuesday. But beyond that, I want to share just a little bit of the inspiration I get from this story. A story about waiting in great expectation for a faithful, gracious God to do exactly what He has promised to do. In my own life, I find that it is so hard to sit still and wait for God to do His work. And yet, I find that when I do, it is so worth the wait!
Is there something in your life that you are waiting for God to do? Something you know that you can't do yourself? Something you can't change or get rid of? I would encourage you to trust and wait. And while you wait, meditate on this Scripture:
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. Then will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
P.S. Here is a link to video about my friend and her beautiful family. Enjoy The Journey for Hope!
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