Because God

The last six months have closely resembled a roller coaster ride.  Lots of ups; lots of downs.  A few twists & turns in the road; a bit of mind-numbing exhilaration & a bit of gut-wrenching pain.

Because God.

Because God chose to interrupt our northern Virginia status-quo-- our mini version of the American Dream-- and call us to something greater, something outside ourselves, something He had ordained for us from before the foundation of time.

"For My thoughts are note your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"

 declares the LORD.  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. 

 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven 

and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, 

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 

so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; 

it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, 

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."  

Isaiah 55:8-11

Indeeed, His mega plan plopped us square in the seat of that wild & crazy roller coaster ride, and it has been all grace ever since!

Because in His infinite goodness, our sovereign Lord rocked our world and revealed to us-- in the blink of an eye-- one major snippet of truth... our comfy little life in suburbia was about to change.  It was about to expand.  It was about to explode.  Because our cozy family of six, which we once considered whole, was not whole at all.  His design for us was, in fact, far from complete.  As Love came down and filled our souls, Chris and I learned first hand the truth of His Word.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, 

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you a hope and a future." 

Jeremiah 29:11

To initiate that plan, He planted a few seeds. He watered them.  He fashioned them, and He formed them. He pruned them, and He nurtured them.  And He helped them grow.  And as they grew, that plan took shape.  A big plan.  A new plan.  A plan we never would have formulated on our own.  A plan created in HIS heart.  A plan to bless us in ways inexplicable-- a plan to stretch us and grow us and challenge us and change us.

This plan-- His wonderful, loving, infinitely good plan-- for us involves a precious little girl on the other side of the globe.  A beautiful little thing-- born to another woman but conceived in our hearts and destined to be ours by adoption.  Just as "He predestined us for adoption as sons of Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:5), so He predestined our family to follow where He has led.

Early next year (I hope!), we'll by flying to China, and we'll be bringing our daughter home!