So, a few years ago, a virtual
friend became a real life friend and we realized we were pretty much living
parallel lives: We loved Jesus, taught PR at Research 1 Institutions - in the
SEC nonetheless, were married to a pastors, had two kids about the same age and
were both trying to be runners. I loved her instantly and wished we lived
closer and could share life over lots of coffee and maybe even collaborate on
research.
When I became a Noonday
Collection Ambassador, Lisa was among the first to say
"yes" to hosting a show. I packed all my lovelies and headed to Baton
Rouge for what turned out to be one of the most fun nights EVER! And now, over
two years later - I'm still going to Baton Rouge for shows with this amazing
group of ladies that I have come to love so much! They love Jesus and each
other so well, and I can't help but want to be with them as often as possible.
One of those sweet soul sisters I
have met in this circle is Liz. She's a boy mama, (Bless.) and her honesty and
ability to speak encouragement are amazing! She speaks life and love and asks
hard questions that just make you want to be a better person. It has been so
fun to rally with her tribe around her as she and her sweet family prepare
their home for their precious girl from India. I am so excited today to share a
little about her family's adoption journey...
IN HER OWN WORDS...
“If the Lord wants to grow our
family by adoption, then I want us to be open to His leading.” My husband’s
words flowed with such ease and confidence. Yet the gravity of his statement
took my heart by storm.
My name is Liz and I am saved by
grace by my Lord Jesus. I've been married to my high school sweetheart, Kenny,
for over 14 years. We are living a wild, boy-raising life with our 10 & 6
year old. We are currently waiting to bring our 14-month-old little girl home
from India. We recently received a new picture of her, and I say with bone deep
conviction -- she's absolutely precious beyond belief. Her big brown eyes and
mocha skin melt our hearts. She's recently cut two bottom teeth and was
standing up looking as if she was on a mission. She probably was. That's my
girl!!! We can't wait to hold her, examine her little fingers and toes like all
parents do with their new baby. We are all ridiculously ecstatic as we prepare
for our new family member. People, we just bought our very first doll. It was a
huge deal! Complete with snapping pictures and texting it to loved ones. This
is a tender time for us. So much left to do and prepare, but in the midst of
it, there are these quiet, sacred moments where I go sit in her room. I often
think of Mary, the mother of Jesus, when just after His birth she was found
"treasuring up all these things, pondering them in her heart." On a
teeny weeny scale, I get that. Treasuring up these things God has given us and
pondering them in my own heart. How great He is!
 |
| The Hill Family is almost complete! So sooooonnnn!! |
We set out on the journey of
growing our family by adoption after Kenny and I had a conversation in the
spring of 2009 about what direction we sensed the Lord taking us. As we shared
our thoughts and hearts, it was undeniable that adoption was where we were
headed, but we were without any further details at that time. As the years
continued to unfold a few things began to change from bewilderingly blurry to
clear; though we still didn’t have the entire picture. We sensed the Lord
leading us to welcome a little girl from India into our tribe. Suddenly, all
things India were thrust before us everywhere we turned. News stories, random circumstances
in grocery store aisles (I promise that's no exaggeration) and many
conversations with friends and mentors.
2012 was a major turning point for
us and it became overwhelmingly obvious that the Lord’s timing to begin the
formal process was upon us. With assurance in our hearts and our knees knocking
together we took a leap of absolute faith and jumped into the world of
international adoption. That initial plunge was over 3 years ago. We began the
paperwork process in June 2012, sojourned to a new city in January 2013 and
received our referral for our little girl in March 2015. We knew this would not
be a speedy, by Western standards, kind of ride. I am thankful our expectations
were not different. We were counseled with staggering honesty by our agency
that this journey was not going to resemble a sprint, but rather a marathon. I
would add, SEVERAL marathons. Maybe even few triathlons mixed in as well. I'll
also add that I'm no athlete either! They told us it would take deep commitment
and loads of patience and flexibility as things change constantly.
Check.
Got it.
WAIT!!
Did
he say “patience AND flexibility?” I’m about as flexible as a 2x4. And
patience? Like both at the same time? After my “Are You sure about this, God??”
moment, I knew that total reliance upon the Lord rather than my usual
"I've got this covered" response would be non-negotiable from here on
out. There have been incredible highs and lows intricately woven throughout the
fabric of time that has unfolded. We’ve literally seen mountain top miracles
and deep, dark valleys, sometimes all at once. We bear witness to the
indescribable, unchangeable, insurmountable steadfastness and faithfulness of
the Lord. He has proven Himself trustworthy over and over as He has provided
every need we've had. We've dined on a delicacy of rice and beans along the way
but not one time have we had to resort to eating canned dog food like I had
envisioned we would due to the staggering costs.
Okay. I'm kidding...Not
really...But seriously...
He provided the financial
requirements through t-shirt fundraisers, garage sales, unexplainable
generosity from family, friends and strangers as well as overwhelming support
from Noonday
Collection trunk shows. He has provided in times of tracking down
hard-to-obtain required documents, stamina when the nights are long and
treasured ones who pray their hearts out on our behalf. He has deeply and
intimately comforted us as our hearts ache for our family to be united. He has
lavishly given us dump truck loads of grace. He has graciously and powerfully
imparted new patience and flexibility that were certainly not characteristic of
me prior to this adventure and in fact are still growing as we continue on!
HE. IS. FAITHFUL.
Although the past 3 years have
challenged us, pushed us to places we never knew our faith in Christ would take
us and rocked our sense of safe and predictable to the core, I would not change
anything if I could. God has grown our faith and He continues to purge us from
self-reliance. He has caused our worship to be in Spirt and truth as we cry out
to Him with praises of thanksgiving and confessions of utter dependence on Him.
He is majestic and tender, our Heavenly Father who knows exactly what is needed
to conform us to the image of His Son. He has used this journey of adoption to
tip over the apple cart of our lives, for His glory and our good. And He didn't
just stop with us! The people the Lord has brought along for the ride has been
truly stunning. As we wait with joyful anticipation for the call to get on a
plane and venture to our daughter’s native land, we KNOW this much: that He has
gone before us, He hems us in, and His hand of blessing is upon us, just as His
word tells us so. Like a perfect ravioli, we are totally enveloped in His
grace.
Though the participation in
adoption is for every Christian, how He leads us as individuals in that calling
varies. But I want to personally and specifically encourage anyone who may be
sensing the tug in their spirit from the Lord about their family being grown by
adoption. The constant what-ifs that swirl in your mind, how will this or that
work out, what about the money? Maybe you’re like me with the patience and
flexibility madness. You fear that you don't have it together enough to adopt.
You're totally off the hook because the truth is, NONE of us do and apart from
the work of God's grace in our lives, we are all up the creek. You wonder how
it will impact your biological children. Maybe the plate is already so full of
responsibility that one more meatball on the top and the whole thing is going
to come crashing down. I get it. All of it. All of the questions, doubts, the
scenarios that cause you to catapult out of bed from a sound sleep at 3 a.m. It
can be so consuming and distracting. But be encouraged dear, fellow sojourner!
God is not timid, turned off, derailed or debilitated by our weaknesses. In
fact, Scripture tells us the opposite -- that His power is made perfect in our
weakness. I can’t promise you that He will give you a 3-point outline of how it
will all unfold, complete with a backup plan in case things get nutty. That
certainly hasn’t been His way with us at all. But may I gently suggest that if
the Lord is beckoning you to this journey, trust Him. That might sound like an
eye-rolling cliche, but it is truth nonetheless. Not once has He promised that
this road was going to be easy and trouble free. His call wasn’t one to join
Him on an idle vacation with cute pineapple drinks adorned with mini paper
umbrellas, but rather to follow Him on the steep and narrow way. We stepped out
in mustard seed sized faith and have been graciously met by the Lord of Heaven
and Earth, who has moved mountains on our behalf.
Hymn writer John H. Stockton says
it best....
... Only Trust Him, Only Trust Him,
Only Trust Him Now...
******************************************
See? I told you she's stinkin'
amazing! It is such a privilege to call her "friend" and to have been
a small part of her family's journey through Noonday Collection adoption
fundraisers. I'm headed to Baton Rouge today to spend time with these beautiful
friends, and I couldn't be more excited! If you've been inspired by Liz's story
and want to be a part of it, you can support her show by shopping here.
20% of total sales from this show will be donated to the Hill's adoption
expenses!
Stay tuned, friends! There's so
much goodness coming your way in this #WorldAdoptionDay series!
