The Pathway No One Knew Was There

We are just days away from leaving. All the emotions are just SWIRLING. I am not sure I can even write a post that makes sense!! There is just so much going on in our hearts and heads (oh the packing details, oh the documents that must be prepared, oh the kid care instructions that must be made!) that I really shouldn't even try to write a post...but I simply can't help myself.

We are about to fly halfway around the world and walk up the steps into an orphanage. Inside there is a little boy who has been living there, day in and day out. He is getting older each day. He has watched many, many children be chosen and leave with their new families. He has wondered when it is going to be his turn. My friend who used to stay there would tuck him in at night and say a prayer with him whispered into his ear, "Your Mommy and Daddy love you." He looked up at her with wide eyes, "I have a Mommy and Daddy?!?!" Oh! It totally melts our hearts!

And yes, Z, you have a Mommy and Daddy. And we are coming. FOR YOU!!!

Brian was putting our little DQ to bed the other night and reading her toddler Bible with her. The story was about Joshua and Caleb scouting the Promised Land. The other scouts went back to the Israelites and reported, "Oh, we cannot take that land, there are big nasty giants living there!" (Amy version) But Joshua and Caleb went back and reported, "We can take that land! There are giants, but our God is bigger!" (also Amy version) At that moment, in the quiet of his heart, God spoke to my husband: "The giant in your adoption is the money."

We have been totally shaking in our boots as we have spent money like there is no end to the supply. All the things required for this trip, especially now that we are going for court and all, is phenomenal. We find ourselves edgy, short with one another because we are nervous about finances. Ever been there?

We have discussed how we have NO IDEA how in the world we are going to complete our adoption. We need money to pay our legal fees, money to pay for a visa, a medical exam (for Z), money to buy our malaria medications, money to stay in a guesthouse. We need money to pay taxi drivers, money to pay for passport pictures for Z, money to throw a going away party for Z at his orphanage. And then, we need money to buy that ticket H-O-M-E for Z!!! Is this a giant? ABSOLUTELY. And the closer we get to our departure date, the uglier the giant becomes. The pricetag hanging off his hat says, "$6,000 or more" on it. And ew! He's got hair growing out of the mole on his chin!

Brian has continually reminded me that we have prayed to live like one of our heros, George Mueller. Time after time, George saw God provide miracles. But the thing with a miracle is, you gotta be in the place to need a miracle.

We are in that place. Oh yeah, baby.

I absolutely love the stories in the Old Testament when God's people NEEDED to travel across the water (the Red Sea and later the Jordan River). God had full plans of parting the water for them, but it did not happen until they stepped by faith into the water. There WAS a pathway there, but they couldn't see it. They had to step out in faith, and then the water would part.

Whew. That's hard.

I love this picture. We obey Him with trepidation. But God holds our hands and never leaves us.

One of my favorite underlined places in the Psalms says this:

"When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled!  

The sea quaked to its very depths...

Your road led through the sea,
Your pathway through the mighty waters--
A PATHWAY NO ONE KNEW WAS THERE!!!"
                                                                ~Psalm 77:16, 19

This situation is just like that. We are stepping onto a plane in faith that our God will provide the finances to complete the adoption of Z. We believe that this was His perfect plan for Z's life and for ours. We trust our God to do the impossible.

I cannot wait to see how He does it!