Rehoboth Farm Collection - How Our Business Was Born

 

We’ve always been the kind to haul scraps of wood out of a burn pile or save old tin cans to create new treasures.  Upcycling was not a new gig for us.  We were pickers at heart and we loved finding somebody’s old and making it into our new.  We love to see transformation, whether it is from a piece of wood to a table, or from a flea market table to a work of art.  We always kidded that our family slogan should be, “We don’t make it, we just make it better.”

But, we have a new slogan now. A slogan very befitting, earned by a trying summer of transformation.

When our moving van arrived, we stood in disbelief.  Our belongings had been strewn along the side of a highway during a truck wreck and were being delivered to us in splintered pieces.  We were relieved to hear no injuries occurred in the collision, but it was a lot to take in. 

There was some sorrow and sentiment as we watched the battered, sometimes unidentifiable contents get carried in to our new home.  But, then we started picking through the pieces.  The wheels were soon turning and we no longer saw what we had lost, but what we could gain.  We sifted through the carnage, pulling out fractured boards, table tops, and cabinet doors, day dreaming about the new life they would soon have.


 With the pile of furniture scraps and any nostalgia set aside, we immediately took on our biggest transformation project yet – Our century old farm house.   We soon found ourselves with more piles. We weren’t sure what we were saving it all for, but we couldn’t let perfectly good lumber, siding, and hardware go to the dump, so we stashed it away. 

A few exhausting weeks later, still unemployed, totally out of money,  and overwhelmed with the house construction, the traumatic move, and the tasks still ahead, we daringly shared our secret dreams with eachother.  To our amazement, we both had the same one!  We wanted to start a family business and repurpose everything we had gathered in to beautiful farmhouse décor.  We suddenly realized this was all bigger than us. Bigger than just our farm.  Bigger than just our belongings.  We could see a door had been opened for us. God was leading us toward a family enterprise, something that used our talents, our hobbies, and our love of transformation.  This was our great escape.  This was our chance to share our creations with others and still put food on the table.  This was our chance to walk in freedom at Rehoboth Farm.  

We immediately charged forward with projects, business start-up, and production.  We opened our Etsy shop 1 month later with 40 items listed.  We are rejoicing in hope of our grand success, but we know it will be by the Lord’s power alone. Only He can make our hearts grateful for a pile of wreckage.   Only He can teach us to hope. He pulled US from the burn pile and made US into treasure. We are HIS story of transformation. 

So, when we say “From our home to yours”, we really mean it. We mean that the shelf you purchased for YOUR home was made from floorboards from OURS.  And even when we use new materials, we mean it was made from our hearts.  

We hope you find something that is a blessing: www.rehobothfarmcollection.com

All Tore Up From the Floor Up - Building a Kitchen From Scratch - Part 1

This post contains affiliate links.

 

 

After tumbling through some pretty heavy duty miracles in 2014, we purchased the farm of our dreams. Seven and 1/2 beautiful acres, room enough for my in-laws, a spacious yard, friendly neighbors, and this wonderful, oversized, super functional kitchen:

 

It was a little worn. It hadn't been updated since the 1980's and the floor was a little soft in spots, but look at that potential! Great counter space, a gas cook top, and the double oven my MIL had always wanted. 

A little paint and some creative updates and it could be beautiful! 

So much storage!

So practical!

We loved it.

We couldn't wait to cook in it.

So, we moved in and lived happily ever after.

But, first...this happened...

 

The first week we moved in...

Not exactly the "open floor" plan we had in mind.

 

The excitement begun the first day we stepped foot in our new home and lasted until we finally stepped foot in to our brand new kitchen - about two months later.  This blog post is the first of many I will use to catalog this unique time of our journey, we like to call "remember when". 

Remember when we had to live in the hotel for a week because we didn't have running water? Remember when we had to wash dishes in the bathtub? Remember when we had a refrigerator in the dining room? Remember when we had to hunt through 4 different rooms and 12 different boxes to find all the ingredients to a meal? Remember when we had a 2 ft. drop at the kitchen doorway so we had to put a baby gate up so we didn't lose any family members?  Remember when we had to heat up water in a crock pot to wash our faces and cook dinner in a toaster oven?

So, what happened?  It's all a blur, really.  My husband almost fell through the floor one minute, we discovered live termites the next, and before we knew it we were back in the hotel we had just checked out of and "Mr. Glenn" (a local handyman who became like kin during the long process) had our kitchen down to bare dirt.  In retrospect (which always seems to cloud my judgment) it's a little funny. Our daughter called it "indoor camping."  Personally, I think it would have been much more fun with s'mores. 

Although we never cooked a single meal in that wonderful, oversized, super functional kitchen, we made quite the gourmet eatery out of our dining room: 

 

It held the place (very crudely) of the kitchen for a great while. The refrigerator came with the house and although a glaring eyesore (stiff competition for the 40 year old carpet), it was quite a blessing to our little camp.  The rolling trashcan cart my husband built a few years before became a handy cook station. The ever-versatile TV trays acted as mobile countertops.  We fed a family of 5 with this quintessential trio of appliances: The Black & Decker Electric burner, the Crock Pot, and the George Forman Grill

 

  The lovely teal bed sheet covered the access door into what would eventually be the actual kitchen. The table top kept the bed sheet from blowing open and allowing saw dust and other debris to soil our luxurious dining/cooking/prep/storage area. 

It wasn't pretty. And it surely wasn't fun. But, our needs were met.  We survived the long frustrating days and refueled on God's promise to make us "fruitful in the land".  Staying focused became easiest at sun set. It meant another day behind us. It meant  we could walk away from the sawdust, the termite eaten floors, the pile of bills, the unpacked boxes, the leaky air mattress, the broken debris that was once our furniture, the visits to the Laundromat, the cold showers, the camp meals, and the chaos...and we could sit on our porch and watch this brilliant display of the Lord's work:

 ...and really, what else matters?

Adoption Update: Following His "High Ways." - 1.13.2014

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 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." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

This “Adoption Journey” has been full of surprises –we know you know that as well as we do, since  we’ve taken you along for the ride.  There is so much we have learned about ourselves, the foster process, and the Lord’s faithfulness in the last two years…especially recently.  We have seen that our God is so much bigger than circumstances.  He is bigger than our plans and our timeline.  We are so grateful for His omniscience.  When we get lost in the process, when we are holding on tight to a runaway train, when we can’t see the forest for the trees…He is above it all.  He works around our pride, our fears, and our faithlessness so that all things will work together for good and for His glory.

We hoped in a purpose for the lessons learned, and the struggles overcome but were never prepared for the surprises we faced.  And we never expected to arrive here:

Eight weeks ago God sent us two little girls.  We are just now gathering our thoughts to share our experience.   It was a blessing, it was mayhem, it was the foster placement we had been waiting so long for…and it was the reality check the Lord knew we needed.  The girls were with us for 28 hours.  It was a beautiful whirlwind… and then they were gone.  

We took two weeks off to put our home back together in preparation for the next placement call.  The phone never rang, but the call was clear. Our hearts had been turned to the Lord in faith, and we saw our life through fresh eyes.  Things had changed in our life that we hadn’t slowed down to consider. We knew we needed to re-evaluate our priorities, to acknowledge our limitations, and seek a clearer understanding of God’s will.  When we finally stopped to honestly examine our hearts, the Lord gave clarity.   Despite my prideful eagerness to do more, be more, and give more to the next placement…We were both sure God was telling us to “Step away”.   Despite our hopes to follow through in this great work…We were sure He was asking us to let go of everything invested…all the preparation, all the support, all the expectations, all the training, all the momentum, all the adrenaline….and step away.   

Charlie and I are still very passionate about adoption and want desperately to contribute in a positive way, but it is clear that now is not the right time for our family, so we’re putting it on hold.  The tiny faith it took for us to step in to the adoption process has been tested and tried. Please understand how important you were through those trials.  We know it takes a much greater faith to jump the track after two years with nothing gained except maturity and experience than it did to cautiously climb aboard. So, we’re asking for God’s grace as we continue in obedience, and step out in faith.  We ask for your prayers for our family as we follow His lead…wherever we are headed now.

 Which brings me to the next surprise we never really saw coming:

Tessie was born to two unsaved parents. At the time we knew nothing more than our own selfish will.  Concerned about hereditary birth defects during my pregnancy, we held our breath.  Nine months later we declared Tessie’s perfect health “a dodged bullet” and determined not to “press our luck” with any successive births - allowing that fear to govern our willingness to receive the Lord’s blessings for the next four years.  It was only as God took us by the hand and walked us through the foster process, that we came to realize how sinful that fear was.  Little by little He turned our hearts, little by little He grew our faith, and little by little He opened our eyes…until we had no choice but to face our own cowardice. The hypocrisy in committing to love and care for the unknown needs of foster children while our hearts were closed to receiving  a blessing –knit together in my own womb by a sovereign Lord - because he/she might have cleft palate was shameful.  When those two little girls left our world with the same abruptness in which they arrived, we were left with a harsh truth:  Those are somebody’s babies.  Those are somebody’s blessings…God created those children in His image and gifted them to those parents for stewardship…and they are too selfish to care for them.  Too selfish…just like us.  In that moment of clarity we suddenly knew why God had drawn us through all that chaos.  We realized the ship had not stopped or turned around when He called us to step away…. our Captain just had a higher purpose for that journey than we ever understood.  We thought He had been guiding us toward OUR goal: adoption.  But, all along He had been leading us toward His: Obedience.   And we finally arrived.  We are ready to submit our will, our way, and even our womb.   We are ready to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding.

We are so grateful for the miraculous work of the Spirit in our calloused hearts.  Our Father has taken so much precious time to work out our fears and grow our faith.  We know He has made us no promises to restore those years wasted in selfishness, and we expect nothing but forgiveness for our faithlessness.  But, we are hoping and fervently praying for the merciful gift of siblings for Tessie in the coming years as we trust in His sovereignty.  

We love you all and are so glad to share this journey with you as the Lord reveals His miracles.  Please continue to pray for our family as we grow in grace.

UPDATE:  A New Twist in the Road...CLICK HERE!

Update: What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Foster Placement - 11.7.2013

In my 9^th month of pregnancy I was told the baby could come “any day now”.  With that sense of anticipation my priorities shifted.  I was urged to do as much reading and sleeping as I could because “once that baby comes….nothing will be the same again.”  Although I could only understand this warning in theory until I experienced it for myself, I tried to get everything done that I knew needed doing and would be exponentially harder after the baby arrived.  Prepping meals, organizing, reading, researching, keeping up with emails and phone calls…etc.  I can remember making sure there was never a dirty dish in the sink or a load of laundry left unattended, because I didn’t want to come home from the hospital to uncompleted chores.
And here I am now – a foster mom– no bulging belly, no swollen ankles, and no due date.  But, with the same sense of urgency I am striving to accomplish all the same tasks I did before my daughter was born.  Grocery shopping – because what if we get a placement and can’t make it to the store right away?  Organizing….because once we get a placement I want to be able to focus on them and their needs rather than hunting for matching socks.   Researching, reading, and keeping in touch….because we all know that’s going out the window when I have a hand to hold, a mouth to feed, or a baby to swaddle.  I know our world is about to be rocked and I’m trying to prepare while I still have time.  So, in some ways it feels very familiar. 

 And yet, in other ways, I know the parallel is not there at all.  When we were expecting our daughter…the due date came and went, but still we waited with eagerness to meet our little one, knowing her birth was inevitable and her presence in our lives was all part of God’s perfect design for our family. Relatives, friends, and coworkers all sent gifts, shared wisdom, and gave encouragement as they awaited the new addition.  They shared their hopes, willing to risk a committal love because she was going to be ours…and in a way…theirs.  We were all curious, excited, and hopeful.  We didn’t know when she was coming, but we knew she was coming from the safety of my womb, to the safety of my arms and she would stay forever. 

As we await a foster placement, our eagerness is bittersweet.  We’re ready, we’re waiting, we’re even excited to help…. But, we know that if we get a call, it is only because a family has been broken in some way, a child’s life has been disrupted, and God’s perfect design has been violated.  An arrival won’t mean the miracle of birth. It will mean a traumatic departing from the life they knew and a painful separation from loved ones.  This scenario is not natural, familiar, or a reason to celebrate.  So, as we hope for the phone to ring, we also hope it never will.
Because we know when we meet a placement for the first time we'll want to scoop them up and shout, “We’re so glad you’re finally here!”   But, instead I picture myself holding a terrified, frail little stranger and whispering, “I’m so sorry we had to meet under these circumstances.”

We pray for courage as we face these unknowns. We share updates and rally support, but we’re unsure about how much to ask of those around us, knowing we can’t stop our battle from soon becoming theirs.  Most of our friends and family are curious and hopeful for us, but cautious.  They aren’t sure what to give, what to say, or how to help, even when they desire to show their support.   They express fears and concerns with honest hearts and try to understand why we would risk the heartache.  This is reasonable.  Foster care is complicated and confusing…especially from the outside.  It doesn’t fit the mold.   When I stock up on baby bottles, onesies, crib sheets, and other supplies at garage sales and thrift shops, I get strange looks.  They stare at where my baby bump should be and ask cautiously, "Are you expecting?"  

YES.  I am.  I’m expecting a child to need a refuge. I’m expecting to be that safe place. I’m expecting to give everything I have during their stay. I’m expecting to say goodbye before I’m ready.  And I’m expecting the call will come “any day now”.

 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

  

Orphan Sunday - Giving Children Hope

Watch this vimeo video: Hope

Foster Care, Adoption, Davion Only, and the Church

Warning: This post has been written from my soapbox.

Will the real body of Christ please stand up?  Will God's children please put down your hymnals, and live out the words you're singing: "Hast Thou, O Lord, a work to do?
Here am I, send me! The field is white, the lab’rers few, Here am I, send me."
Why do we, who claim loyalty to Christ, who preaches the gospel (the adoption of the lost and hopeless into the family of God through His sweet amazing grace), and who are supposed to be known for our love - lack the faith to open our home, our hearts, and our lives to the lost and helpless little souls who need us most?  Why does a 15 year old boy need to borrow a suit and tie and march into a church to advocate for his own needs?  Shame on us that the hurting need to come hunt us down in our pews and appeal to our guilt.  We are Christ's body - his earthly members.  We should be obedient, attentive, and seeking ways to minister one to another.
Yes, foster/adoption can be scary, intimidating, and complicated. But, perfect love casts out fear.  We find perfect love only in Christ.  We are to be His vessels - willing vessels. Willing to take risk, take action, and take on the burdens of others in obedience. When Peter told Jesus he loved Him, Christ challenged him to prove it with his actions. He commanded, "Then feed my sheep."  So, how shameful it is that we sit singing "O how I love Jesus" with nothing to show for it.  There is work to be done, church.  If we can't taken an orphan in, we should be praying for those who can. If we can't offer a bed, we should offer a meal, clothing, supplies, or encouragement to those who will.  We shouldn't wait until Davion Only comes strolling in to our congregation and begs for a home, for his own pillow, for someone to love him. 

I pray that the Lord will work through the publicity afforded this young man in his search for a family.  I pray that it will be an awakening in our sleeping churches - that we will rise in obedience and show our love for Christ in our care for others.
Please read this amazing testimony of an adoptee who has benefitted from Christ's healing power in the home of those willing to love:  Thirty

Adoption Update: Going In To Battle - 10.9.2013

I know this journey with us has been a wild ride. We have tried to obey the Lord's call each time we've been asked to take a step in faith. You have all been so gracious to follow along with each change. Most recently Charlie and I described the risk in the term “legal risk”, assuring you that the hope of adoption would be worth it in the end. Now, two months out, our hearts have been turned again.  Not away from that risk as logic would dictate, but straight toward it - in faith.

Charlie has felt the draw to enter this spiritual battle for some time and in response to some news articles regarding the typical caliber of foster parents in some states, the quality of care offered these temporary orphans, and the brokenness of the system itself, Charlie finally declared “This is war. We need to foster.”

My heart took a little more tugging.  This past week I was led to Psalm 10:18: “Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge (vindicate) the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress (terrify).”

My heart soared as I thought of our great God vindicating the fatherless and oppressed… I thought, Charlie is right – this is war! The enemy must be defeated! Send in the soldiers!  …But then I realized we were the soldiers.  I cowardly listed off as many excuses I could think of to disqualify us for battle.  Fostering is a deep, dark world. We’re not ready. We can’t do it. It’s too risky.  It’s too hearbreaking. Aren’t there other soldiers you can send?  I read Psalm 11 and hid behind David’s apprehension: “…how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.” See? It’s too dangerous.  It’s hopeless.

 As I struggled with the fear that came naturally and the faith that had failed, I glanced again at Psalm 11:1 and realized I had totally skipped the first line. The conviction came immediately: “In the Lord I put my trust.” 

The Holy Spirit continued to work on my heart… until I turned from the fear….until I stood in faith...until I was ready to put on the armor and fight.  Tuesday night when Charlie got home from his FBI (Faith Bible Institute) class I shared with him how I had spent all evening in the Word and God had given me courage to face our new battle.  He looked surprised and said, “That is so weird. The whole time at class tonight I just had this feeling of peace, like we are ready for it now.” 

We meet with our caseworker on Thursday (the 17^th) to open our home to foster placements.

To clarify the difference between our original license and this one….A foster home is to be ready for emergency placements upon need.  These children come in to care for refuge while the courts work out their home lives -for better or for worse. They need immediate care and comfort; some will arrive with only the clothes on their back. We see this is as an opportunity to teach Tessie the principles of Matthew 25:35-40 and purpose to share as much truth and love with them as we can while they remain in our care – whether that means 2 days or 2 years.

Letting go of the hope of forever and focusing on the need of today is bigger than we thought we would ever be ready for. It is something God has readied our hearts for bit by bit as we grew in courage and faith.  Tess is older now. She understands the process and has healthy expectations of potential loss. We believe she will gain great strength from the trials ahead as we all grow. Since her temporary siblings will all be younger than her, we are hoping that Tess’ calm nature and example will be a benefit to them as their hearts are healing. 

We ask for your prayers.  Please pray for victories, for resolve, for faith.  Pray that we always remember to put our trust in the Lord – no matter the circumstance, no matter the enemy.  We know our God is bigger than this system. We know as His soldiers, we don’t get to choose the battle we are called to.  We are simply to lay down our lives in obedience to the great Commander.

Our prayer for each child we care for will be for a miraculous restoration of their family and a healthy reunification.  We know this will mean heartbreak for us each time we have to say goodbye.  We are trusting the Lord to use each transition/loss to grow our faith and show us a little more about what it meant to give up His son for us.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Adoption Update: Blessed Contentment - 8.23.2013

The news has had a little time to sink in now and we are still blessed with contentment.  God had prepared our hearts and trained us in faith to await his blessing in either direction.  We know these children need a home, a promise of care, a commitment without cowardice.  And despite our willingness, we were not the family chosen for them.  But, a family has been selected and we pray that they will enter into this work with a heart turned to God.  We wonder about God's will in the lives of these children...and what miracles still lay ahead on our own path. We know the Lord's work is not finished here and we look onward in faith.


"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." -Philippians 4:11

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

*artwork by 13Pumpkins. Click here for shop info.

Adoption Update - Resting and Waiting - 8.9.2013

 

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him." -Psalm 37:7

Wednesday we received our new license in the mail.  It was official. The doors were now open. So many doors. All the unknowns were too much to process. We thought of the children we were now licensed to care for.  Who will they be? What will the circumstances be? How long will they stay? Will God call us to adopt any of them? How will the Lord use us during this time? We determined to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
Our waiting was met with a surprise phone call the very next day. Our caseworker called to tell us she will be attending a selection meeting for us on August 22nd. Wow? Already? For who? The answer almost knocked me off my feet. 
...."The little boy and girl you spoke with the foster parents about...the adoption case."

God's will be done.

 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

 

Adoption Update: Two Licenses, Hundreds of Possibilites -7.29.2013

 

We have just completed the final requirement for our dual foster license.  We are licensed for ages 0-4 years old and are still open to sibling groups.  We don’t know what God’s plan is for our family yet, but we are now ready for adoption or fostering – or both!  We are trying to prepare our hearts  for all the possibilities.  A quick overview of the two licenses:

 

Adopt Only (an adoption placement):

The children will come in to our care as “legal orphans” after months (or years) of protective placement. Their parent’s rights will have been terminated and they’ll be labeled ‘wards of the state of Texas’.

We will sign confidentiality agreements to keep case information private.  We will not be able to share much about the children’s case history or other personal information.

We will not know the age, ethnicity, gender, or number of siblings expected to join us until we are selected and matched with the children by an advocate committee. 

The children will come in to our home with a clear plan of adoption and we will joyfully commit to being their “forever family” before placement begins.

The children will live with us for 6 months (a supervised probationary period) before we can apply for finalization (official adoption).

Once the adoption is finalized, the children are legally “ours” just as our bio-daughter is legally ours. Case closed.

 

Foster-to-Adopt (a legal risk placement):

One or both of the children’s birth parents still have legal rights; however the court has determined that it is “likely” they will eventually lose those rights due to past circumstances or continued negligence. 

The children will have been in protective custody for a few months before becoming “legal risk” and we will be selected and matched with them just like in an adoption placement.

The children will enter our home with a hope of eventually being adopted, but mostly for the security of a consistent home environment while they wait out the legal process.

We will not know the age, ethnicity, gender, or number of siblings expected to join us until a few weeks before we meet them .  We will not know if they are going to leave our care until very shortly before it is time for transition.

During their time with us their case information will be confidential. We will not be able to distribute photographs of the children’s faces or give out other private information.

The children will probably call us Mommy and Daddy because our bio-daughter does.  According to the caseworker, this is good, healthy, and not a life-long promise of care as we (adults) see it.

If the children’s parents are able to work through rehabilitation programs or if other family members complete a home study and are willing to take the children in to their care, we will be responsible for helping the children transition out of our home and in to their new environment. 

If the children become ‘available’ (their parent’s rights are terminated or relinquished and no other family member steps up) we will proceed with adoption.  There is no expected timeline in place.  The courts have been known to make decisions in weeks, months, and years with equal frequency. 

Not knowing if the children will be with us for 6 months or 16 years sounds emotionally excruciating, but God has given us peace, and more importantly the clarity to understand that no relationship in our life is guaranteed for any length of time. Our life is but a vapor and all we have is each day, as the Lord allows.  And as He brings the day, He brings the grace to face it.  So, bring on the possibilities!

 

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Philippians 4:13

 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Adoption Update: Beautifully Timed - 7.24.2013

“Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage. And He shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.” –Psalm 27:14

We have completed 18 hours of mandatory classes in the last 6 days.  We are on track to get our Legal risk license by the end of the month.  Last night we attended our final course.  The class  was full of foster parents, some seasoned (27 years) and some newbies (3 months)..and us(just a week away).  We all introduced ourselves and listened attentively to the instructor for 2 ½ hours. The other students shared stories of experience from their many placements. My husband and I listened, knowing we were entering this strange new world of foster parenting and only God could give us the grace to succeed. Our caseworker happened to be the assigned “monitor”, so she sat quietly at a side table organizing completion certificates for everyone.   When the class concluded everyone made a mad dash for the door, except the couple next to us. To our surprise, they approached us as we gathered our things and said, “You are waiting for children to adopt?”  We nodded.  Then they said, “We have two children in our care that are going up for adoption.  Their caseworker should be sending out a broadcast any day, probably this week or next.”  My husband asked, “How old are they?” while I stood helplessly confused.  The wife pulled her phone out and scanned across a few pictures to show us, “She is 3 and he is 2.”  My husband beamed at me and said, “Perfect!” I still stood frozen trying to process everything.  I managed to ask, in confusion, “Their parent’s rights have been terminated?”  She nodded and said, “Yes, last month. That’s why they are up for adoption.”  Oh…duh. I glanced at their picture briefly and smiled.    I was still confused.  We were there to get a legal risk license.  We had all but given up on straight-adoption cases.  What was God doing in all this?  We were helpless to do anything because everything goes through the caseworkers anyway. Oh! Our caseworker! “That’s our caseworker right there!” I blurted out enthusiastically.  She said, “Okay, well tell your caseworker that the kids should be broadcast within the next week or two so she can submit your homestudy.”  My husband and I both nodded obediently.

She told us the children’s names, birthdays, temperaments, and how loved they are.  I finally asked, “Why aren’t you adopting them?”  They both laughed and the husband said, “We’re too old!  We’re worn out.”  The wife added, “They are really good kids, they have been wonderful, but we just can’t commit long term to them.  They’re too young and we’re too old.”   My husband listened with a huge grin.  We chatted a little longer and then waved goodbye. We approached our caseworker awkwardly as she packed her briefcase to leave.  “Um….those people said they have two children….for adoption.  The parent’s rights have been terminated and they should be broadcast next week or something.”  She said, “Oh, okay. I’ll keep an eye out.”  

On the drive home, my husband and I mulled over our “chance meeting”.  How weird that they approached us like that.  Do you think those are really the children God has for us?  Well, then what would the legal risk license be for?  More kids?  I guess if we would have never come to this class, we wouldn’t have met that couple.  It just seems to good to be true. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what comes of it. If God has chosen them for us, He will work it out.

The next morning I emailed our caseworker all the info (names, ages, location) we had received the night before from the children’s foster parents, so she would be prepared to recognize them when they came through on a broadcast in the next week or so.  I was a little nervous that she might miss them and wondered if we should have exchanged names and numbers with those foster parents (which I was too busy looking dumbfounded to do).  I pondered it all again and again, finally asking God for clarity.

I received a phone call an hour later from our caseworker: “Hey, I wanted to talk to you about those kids you told me about last night.  Their broadcast already went through last week.”  I sighed, disappointedly.   Then she continued, “but, I actually thought they would be so perfect for you, I submitted your home study for them last Thursday.”  “WHAT?  You’re kidding me!” 

“No, I just saw them and thought they were so perfect for y’all I didn’t even call you to ask. I just submitted for you. In fact, I ran in to the caseworker yesterday and she said they hadn’t made a decision to narrow down for the top 3 yet, but you were still being considered. I guess they received a lot of home studies, so it is taking a while to go through them all. I told her to keep you in mind.” 

God’s irony is always beautifully timed.  Even if we are not selected for this sibling group, this was surely not wasted on us. We will continue in His work.  We were told to wait on the Lord, so we did. We were told to be of good courage, and we were.  He promised to strengthen our hearts, and He did.  And so, we are commanded again, to wait on the Lord, so we will.

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Adoption Update - Faith Means Getting In - 7.15.2013

When asked for the definition of faith recently, my husband was given several vivid illustrations of what it means to really “believe”.  It was through this revelation that the Lord drew him unto true salvation.  One of the examples of true, biblical, active faith was described to him in this anecdote:

Picture a circus tent, with thousands in the stands watching a high wire act.  The wire is stretched across two towers 50ft in the air.  The performer climbs one of the towers and rallies the crowd, “Raise your hand if you believe I can walk across this wire without falling.”  Everyone in the audience raised their hand.  The performer takes a few steps across the wire and covers his eyes dramatically challenging, “Raise your hand if you believe I can walk across it blindfolded.”  The crowd cheers and raises their hands again.  The performer then carts a wheelbarrow up the tower stairs and says, “Raise your hand if you believe I can walk across the wire blindfolded while pushing this wheelbarrow.”  The crowd cheers again, raising their hands and shouting, “You can do it! We believe in you!”  Then, the performer looks out in to the audience and asks, “Who’s willing to get in the wheelbarrow?”

In the book of Hebrews, faith is described as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  In other words, we have to believe God’s promises enough to take action, enough to sacrifice, or enough to get in the wheelbarrow.

I love how God works…always in the details, and yet with a greater plan than we can even imagine.  Last month when the 4-page list of this season’s Foster Parent Training classes came in I folded it up and set it aside (rather than throwing it out immediately like I did the last 5 times we received it over the last 2 years), with no purpose (of my own) at all. 

Last week, when our caseworker came for our annual fire inspection, she hardly stepped foot in the door before laying out the same proposition she had suggested on her visit a month ago…and the time before that.  “I’d really like to change your license to legal risk.”  Every time before this I had recoiled at the thought, I had stood firm and refused.  “We can’t do that to Tessie.  We can’t handle that emotionally.  We can’t take that risk. We want adoption only…”

But, this time when she suggested it, I had found my heart softened to the idea.  I listened to her reasoning and asked a lot of questions.  She said we would need three additional classes and then she could change it over and get working on a placement right away.  She asked me to talk it over with my husband and get back to her on Monday.  When I presented it to Charlie he was surprisingly receptive to it and said he would seek God’s will in the matter and give me a solid answer by Monday morning.  Sunday we had unexpected visitors at church. They had travelled over 50 miles to come to the service, had a large beautiful family...and 5 adopted children.  The parents were gracious enough to answer every question I bombarded them with during our brief lunch visit.  One of the first things they advocated was opening our home to legal risk or foster-to-adopt.  I knew God had brought them in to our life at this exact moment for encouragement and comfort.  Their experience was invaluable.  I couldn’t wait to tell my husband all the new information.  But, before I was able to relay any of the counsel I had received from our new God-given mentors, Charlie turned to me in the midst of a busy family gathering that afternoon and said, “We have to do the legal risk. It’s what God wants.”    Yay!!! And yikes!!  Although the Lord has taken us on many surprising twists during our journey, we had stayed in the “safe zone”. Our trust was still in the system.  A “straight adoption” meant no risk –the birth parent’s rights have been terminated and the children are legal orphans.   An LR Placement means it is “likely” that the parent’s rights will be terminated (hopefully soon), but there are no guarantees.  They will place the children in our home with the intent to adopt, but family members can still come forward to “claim” the children until finalization (which is another unknown).    God has given us a surprising sense of peace about this and we have come to understand that there are no guarantees in life…and any hope of one (adoption safe zone) is just an illusion anyway.   We understand the risk.  We could get “attatched” to children, and they could go “home”.  We could get our heart broken in a “loss”.  We could get our hopes up and be disappointed.  We could also help to heal hurting hearts.    We could provide safety and consistency to those who have never known it.  We could die to self and give love unconditionally.  We could share God’s word.  We could teach our daughter to give, obey, and love without any expectation of reward.  We could trust whole-heartedly in God’s plan and God’s provision.  And we could bring glory to Him through this test of faith.

We believe the Lord has asked us to “get in the wheelbarrow” as we pursue a legal risk license.  He has not revealed what His plan is in this yet, but only that He is asking us to do it in faith.   We know that Charlie's faith is new and my faith is small, but we're want to see mountains moved for God's glory, so we're getting in.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” –Hebrews 11:1

 

 

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Adoption Update: A Season of Silence - 7.10.2013

 

Sometimes God answers prayer with silence.  Days, weeks, months of "inaction".  During these times we ask, "Where are you, God? What are you doing? Why aren't you answering my prayers?"  We were just there, asking, "Where are the children You have for us Lord? Are they ready for us?" And God's answer was, "You're not ready for them."
It has been unusually silent during this season of waiting. No phone calls, emails, or visits from the caseworker. Just silence.  And now I know why. Now I know, without a doubt, that God's hand has been our covering during this time...In His infinite wisdom, He has carved out these moments in our journey, to divert our path, to put it all on hold, and to save my husband's soul (Read His Testimony Here). 
And now we're truly ready to move forward, united in Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and faithfully waiting for God to bring the rest of our family together.

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Adoption Update: Periods and Question Marks – 6.17.2013

Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it – psalm 127:1

We heard a sermon yesterday about how the devil puts question marks where God has put periods.  He emphasized how Satan tried it with Eve in the garden: “Yea, hath God said…?” When I heard that I thought, He just tried that on us last week!  Just a few days from when we took our stand in faith, the serpent came slithering in with two tempting sibling groups and asked, “hath God really said under school age?”  Both groups had children over the age limit. We didn’t have peace about either one. But, they were there…and available…and we struggled. But, by God’s grace we were able to lean on His truth and resist what we ultimately saw as temptation.  In His strength, we stood firm, “God hath said under school age. Period.

And hardly 3 days later…we received a phone call from our caseworker (yes, this has been the most activity we have seen during our whole 16 months of waiting) reporting that she had heard from the caseworker of one of the groups we had rejected last week (the third temptation in 5 days). She said the caseworker announced that we had been selected (as 1 of 3 candidates) for that sibling group (ages 3, 4, 5……and 10).  Our caseworker reminded her that we were no longer interested (because of the age breech we discussed last week) and the caseworker insisted, “please, won’t you participate in the selection meeting on Wednesday?  We are very interested in your family for this group.”  So, our caseworker called us to see where we stood. 

We have been selected? They are very interested in us? The opportunity we shakily turned down last week was suddenly a little more appealing. The stakes had been raised.  We had been moved even closer to the prize.  Tantalized by the lust of the flesh, like Eve fondling a ripened fruit, we wavered.  And the question marks rolled….. “Is God opening a door that we tried to close? Is He trying to tell us we’re not on the right path?  Is this His will for us?  Did He really mean under school age? Yea, hath God said…?”

A song we sing in our Bible Study class played in my mind as I knelt down to beg for clarity and peace:

Fret not, He’s watching over you
Fret not, His love will see you through

Fret not, He’ll help you pass the test
Commit and trust…delight and rest.

That’s what was missing….rest.  We had no peace. Only questions and doubts.  Knowing God is not the author of confusion; he ultimately revealed impatience, faithlessness, and fear at the root of these questions.  I know God is teaching me to find peace in His periods. Wait on the Lord…period. Delight in the Lord…period. Rest in the Lord…period.  My nature is unstable, but His commands are absolute.   I am learning now to turn to those commands in the face of doubt.  The Lord is always faithful and, once again, He helped us pass the test.  He provided the strength for us to face our fear (that we will accidently miss God’s will) and guided us by the hand as we walked away (again) from a very tempting opportunity.  So, we carry on down this narrow path….a little stronger, and yet so aware of our dependency on God’s merciful hand.  Our heart is strengthened and we are determined to trust that the Lord will be faithful in what He has called us to. We know that God is faithful. Period.  He has called us to adoption. Period.  He will build our house. Period.

“Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:24

 

 

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