Want to hear a really cool story?
How about two?
Would you stick around for THREE?
Well, I got 'em!
We officially began fundraising for Toby's adoption yesterday. Our need was steep. (And any need is steep when you don't have it!) The number needed for today (Friday) is $1,891.25. We didn't have it.
I am not proud to admit it, but I was stressing about it on Tuesday.
And Wednesday.
I lost sleep over it Wednesday night. :(
Thursday a friend was sharing with me that SHE had faith for me. She had been praying with thanksgiving for how God was going to do it.
She prayed as if it was done.
"If we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently..." Romans 8:25.
I was so encouraged by her faith.
I was like the disciples who watched Jesus feed the 5,000 with 2 loaves and 5 fish and then again saw him do it with a crowd of 4,000. The next paragraph they were in the boat freaking out that they only had one loaf of bread between the 12 of them. Jesus was like, "Dudes! Haven't you learned ANYTHING!?!?!?" (see Mark 8 for this story. My "dude" quote is verse 21.)
Yeah. I'm that dude in the boat.
God has SOOOO provided in the past.
He brought Zebby home to us in lightning fast speed and with money that only He could provide.
And I was lying in my bed with knots in my stomach wondering about this agency payment, "but HOW Lord???"
I could not foresee a way. I wish I had someone smack me upside the head with a fish. (that MIGHT have helped, you never know!)
Instead, God kindly gave me this verse, (because He is so gentle and is not a fish slapping kind of God!)
" I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make rivers in the wilderness." Isaiah 43:19
Then, while having family devotions, our kids ran to grab their pennies and loose change. "There! Now we can bring Toby home!!"
Oh, the precious faith of a child!!
Then yesterday I got a private message on Facebook. My friend's son read the last post with his mom and was asking good questions. "Why does it cost money to give a child a family?" "I want to adopt too!" "How can you hear God call you to do something?" Then, he came and gave her all his money to help bring Toby home.
$4.
I can assure you that those four dollars given in faith have BALLOONED into what we are seeing now in our Adopt Together account!!
Then, as today began, God filled me with faith. I had not a hint of wavering. I KNEW that God would do it. And as I am learning, faith is not something we conjure up, but it is a gift of God. (See Romans 12:3.)
Yesterday afternoon, I was also reminded by my friend that we didn't need the money THURSDAY, we needed it FRIDAY. That I should hold on and see what God did FRIDAY. God then put double rainbows in the sky that night. One for her, one for me. :) God's so cool like that!
Then this afternoon, as I was watching all these donations come in and fill up the need, one story in particular brought me to tears. Three siblings gave from their jars. Then their lovely mother messaged me the story:
This morning on the way to bball camp we prayed, asking God to show us what we could do to help orphans today.
Came home, saw your post, told Zoë. She said, "I'll give $5 to help that baby." then we remembered the jars they keep tithes and savings in. She decided to empty hers for Toby.
Greta saw what was going on. I told her about baby Toby in China who needs to come home to his family and needs doctors and medicine. Greta said, "give him my money jars, too."
After Caleb's playdate I told him about it and he didn't want to participate because he's saving for a science kit. Then he saw the girls' jars and said, "ok, I'll give everything in my jar, including my 8 gold coins from the tooth fairy."
So it's not much, but $57.45 was every cent the kids had. Their compassion speaks to my soul.
I thought you might like to hear these incredible God stories so YOU can have YOUR faith built up and encouraged like mine has been. (I Thessalonians 5:11)
How about two?
Would you stick around for THREE?
Well, I got 'em!
We officially began fundraising for Toby's adoption yesterday. Our need was steep. (And any need is steep when you don't have it!) The number needed for today (Friday) is $1,891.25. We didn't have it.
I am not proud to admit it, but I was stressing about it on Tuesday.
And Wednesday.
I lost sleep over it Wednesday night. :(
Thursday a friend was sharing with me that SHE had faith for me. She had been praying with thanksgiving for how God was going to do it.
She prayed as if it was done.
"If we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently..." Romans 8:25.
I was so encouraged by her faith.
I was like the disciples who watched Jesus feed the 5,000 with 2 loaves and 5 fish and then again saw him do it with a crowd of 4,000. The next paragraph they were in the boat freaking out that they only had one loaf of bread between the 12 of them. Jesus was like, "Dudes! Haven't you learned ANYTHING!?!?!?" (see Mark 8 for this story. My "dude" quote is verse 21.)
Yeah. I'm that dude in the boat.
God has SOOOO provided in the past.
He brought Zebby home to us in lightning fast speed and with money that only He could provide.
And I was lying in my bed with knots in my stomach wondering about this agency payment, "but HOW Lord???"
I could not foresee a way. I wish I had someone smack me upside the head with a fish. (that MIGHT have helped, you never know!)
Instead, God kindly gave me this verse, (because He is so gentle and is not a fish slapping kind of God!)
" I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make rivers in the wilderness." Isaiah 43:19
Then, while having family devotions, our kids ran to grab their pennies and loose change. "There! Now we can bring Toby home!!"
Oh, the precious faith of a child!!
Then yesterday I got a private message on Facebook. My friend's son read the last post with his mom and was asking good questions. "Why does it cost money to give a child a family?" "I want to adopt too!" "How can you hear God call you to do something?" Then, he came and gave her all his money to help bring Toby home.
$4.
I can assure you that those four dollars given in faith have BALLOONED into what we are seeing now in our Adopt Together account!!
Then, as today began, God filled me with faith. I had not a hint of wavering. I KNEW that God would do it. And as I am learning, faith is not something we conjure up, but it is a gift of God. (See Romans 12:3.)
Yesterday afternoon, I was also reminded by my friend that we didn't need the money THURSDAY, we needed it FRIDAY. That I should hold on and see what God did FRIDAY. God then put double rainbows in the sky that night. One for her, one for me. :) God's so cool like that!
Then this afternoon, as I was watching all these donations come in and fill up the need, one story in particular brought me to tears. Three siblings gave from their jars. Then their lovely mother messaged me the story:
This morning on the way to bball camp we prayed, asking God to show us what we could do to help orphans today.Came home, saw your post, told Zoë. She said, "I'll give $5 to help that baby." then we remembered the jars they keep tithes and savings in. She decided to empty hers for Toby.
Greta saw what was going on. I told her about baby Toby in China who needs to come home to his family and needs doctors and medicine. Greta said, "give him my money jars, too."
After Caleb's playdate I told him about it and he didn't want to participate because he's saving for a science kit. Then he saw the girls' jars and said, "ok, I'll give everything in my jar, including my 8 gold coins from the tooth fairy."
So it's not much, but $57.45 was every cent the kids had. Their compassion speaks to my soul.
I thought you might like to hear these incredible God stories so YOU can have YOUR faith built up and encouraged like mine has been. (I Thessalonians 5:11)
God has taken these "loaves and fish" of these children and turned it into $1,736!! Nope, just got another donation! Now we are at $1,836! (We had some cash given to us today as well...so it is not reflected in the amount on the Adopt Together page.) And truth be told, I have to keep changing this number as I type because the money keeps on coming!!! HALLELUJAH!
God is bringing our Toby home!! And using adorable children and precious adults to do it!
Yahooooo!!! :)
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