18 July, 2016

Nesting Mama

Quick Update
We have one final step to get finger printed on Friday, and then we wait for the “OK” from Homeland Security. And then, we will be officially “Paper Ready” for our new baby!!!! 

We have applied for a grant from Promise686 to match some promised donations at this point. Unfortunately, they don’t meet again until August, so we’re in a bit of a waiting game to even see if we can finish our funding with what’s been promised. But God is in control of every dollar! We saw that in the AMAZING outcome of our t-shirt sales raising $4,000!! So, keep praying for that!



Provision
When we decided to adopt again, I had a lot of insecurity about some of the challenges we’ve faced with our other children and whether or not I was prepared to embrace those again. Mainly, I thought about the attachment issues we’ve faced with Ian, and I wondered if I could do that again. I wondered if adopting another boy would be good for him. And I even considered that it could make things worse for him. I tried to just push those thoughts aside as we moved forward because I clearly felt a calling from the Lord to adopt! And he has been so very faithful in this process!! The program we’ve been matched with doesn’t allow you to choose gender (so that one is completely up to God!), and we will be bringing home a newborn for the first time. A child who will grow in our existing family and never remember a day without us all.

But y’all, a newborn brings a whole new set of challenges we’ve never faced before! And we will certainly tackle them all! But one of the main challenges for me right now as I’ve been nesting has been not having ALL THE THINGS for a newborn ready and waiting! And yes, babies don’t need much, but a mom of FOUR sure does to make life easier…even functional! And God has, once again, provided where I didn’t even know I needed him to! The kindness of friends—old and even BRAND NEW friends I just met—has been absolutely incredible! 

One of the things I have to remind myself on a regular basis is that while it’s extremely humbling to ask others for money and baby items, this is just as much his calling for our faithfulness as it is for the faithfulness of others who are called to walk beside us!! Car seat and stroller, swing, burp cloths, rock’n’play, play mat, bumbo seat… the list just goes on! And while all have been a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness and his provision, it’s the story of two chairs that reminds me how much GOD IS BIGGER!!

Asking has been HARD, but I really needed a chair for our bedroom to rock this baby in at night. But I also needed a chair to rock the baby in during the day, in the main part of the house with my other children. It’s hard to just escape to the back of the house when you’ve got three other children to look after! So, I was torn as to where to even put a chair if I had one. Someone suggested that I post to Facebook what I needed and just see if anyone had something they were willing to part with. Then, if I found another one cheap, I was only buying one chair. 

And what did God do?!?!? Offers for chairs just rolled on in! And it was amazing, that God fulfilled my desire for TWO CHAIRS so quickly! Two perfect chairs. Not just “I’m getting rid of this” chairs. Really nice chairs that I love having in my home. And here they both sit in my home as signs of God’s promise for this baby who is soon to come. 

This nesting mama is so very grateful for the outpouring of support! For providing ALL the many things that make having a baby just a little bit easier—and making the burden to provide just a little lighter.


1 comment:

  1. Hi Kristen,
    I found your blog on the CCAI website a couple of years ago, as my husband and I also adopted two little treasures from China (in 2014) at the same time! Our little boy was from Zhengzhou SWI, so I especially appreciated your post about your visit there. I'm thrilled to hear you are adopting again and would love to hear more about the program you've found in Japan. Are you willing to share about the agency/program? Thank you for your time and many blessings as you receive your new little gift!

    ReplyDelete

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