Sacred Intersections

Our lives are always intersecting with others. Sometimes these intersections are insignificant. I take my receipt and we both offer a shallow "Have a nice day." Other intersections leave us hot under the collar or walking with a lighter step. Still others leave an indelible mark, for which we are grateful. 

This is one such intersection. 

The difference of one week and we never would have met. Our eyes would never have connected along the bumpy roads of Addis Ababa as we took in the tragic beauty surrounding our crowded van. We would never have shared stories over bottled Cokes, or stifled tears outside the depressing walls of an orphanage. 

We brought our children home and began the journey of attaching and bonding, comparing notes along the way. We struggled apart in a together kind of way. There is something tenacious in the adoption community that cannot be diminished by the miles separating us. We are drawn to one another and to living a weird life. 

You stepped out in trembling faith to adopt a special needs boy. As if that were not enough, a street boy had approached us, begging us to be his mom and dad. You did what I (and countless others) had deemed "impossible" in order to assuage our guilt. You now call him "Son", and he truly is.  The handwriting was on the wall; You were destined for the extraordinary, despite yourselves. You, again, find your family on the precipice of something altogether faith-filled and utterly gut-wrenching. And I stand with you, linking arms, humbled to call you "friend", and burdened as you fight the anxiousness of the unknown. 

My dear readers, the words I write here are quickly forgotten, but the work of Tiffany and her family is of eternal significance. Please, please, PLEASE go see what they're about. Then decide how you can encourage them. 

Blessings,

Cynthia

The Post I Never Wanted To Write. Ever.

Sometimes things are bittersweet and sometimes things are just plain bitter. At first I thought this was the latter, but I'm realizing it is indeed the former.

Remember this little guy?

This is Nico. Etch his precious face in your memory, because short of a gargantuan miracle, you will never meet him in person. My friend Kara and her husband began the challenging road to adopt him. And then the bitter happened. His country has closed our door to their orphans. Kara isn't the only mama heart breaking. Several families were in the process of adopting from this country and all are mourning. And we mourn with them.

Bitter.

Now here is the sweet #1: Kara didn't allow this to deter her from gospel living. Her family is pursuing another little boy and are so close to bringing him home! Colton is ready to come home and party, McIntee-style! 

Their fundraising has stalled and they need a boost. Ya'll. Seriously. Disney park-hopper passes?!? This is an awesome fundraiser! The rest of the prizes are super cool too. Go buy you some tickets. Follow the directions so that she is certain to add your name to the drawing. These would make fantastic gifts for your kids or grandkids. If you're not a Disney fan, just go donate for crying out loud. Once you've done that, come back to read the sweet #2.


I'll wait.



I know some of you aren't clicking over.



Fine.

Sweet #2 is a call to Nico's country. I know you're reading my blog, because blog stats don't lie. We realize your government made the decision and now the burden is thrust upon you. You are a good people. A strong people. With Christ leading the way, you have all you need to care for your orphans. Please heed His voice and open your hearts to the "least of these" in your country. America is lifting you up in prayer as you begin this new adventure. My prayer is that orphanages will be overrun; Overrun with prospective adoptive parents. My dear brothers and sister, you are the sweet to this bitter. 

So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.
Galatians 6:9

Hanging Onto Hope,
Cynthia

One Of Those Christianese Phrases And A Little Boy Named Nico

"It's a God thing".*
I hear and say it myself. I'm all for giving God the credit for things that go smoothly, or a "chance meeting" that needed to be. However, we run the risk of trivializing the mighty hand of God. Example: "Praise the Lord I was in the turn lane to get to my massage on time!"

Well. Whew! It's a good thing Jesus was taking the wheel on that one!**

That said, I'd rather err on the side of giving God the credit. I don't want to be stingy with my praise, and I also don't ever to want lose sight of how powerfully my God can move mountains.

This is one of those big God things.

If you've been friends with me on Facebook for any length of time, you have probably seen a post from me with a link to the MOST ADORABLE little boy EVER. I mean, look at this face!

Give me a break! They don't come cuter than this! I snicker at your attempts to find a cuter kid than Nico.

I have stared at this angelic little face for a year, praying for a family for him, agonizing over whether we were supposed to adopt him (being pregnant, I felt like now was not the time). I regularly visited his profile on Reese's Rainbow. On one such recent visit, my breath caught in my throat. A family is now pursuing this precious boy!! I admit mixed emotions. After all, I won't get to see his cherub smile on the website anymore.

As I read the adoptive family's profile, it left me speechless (no small task). Out of fifty, we just "happen" to live in the same state! After contacting Nico's mama, Kara (in an only sorta-kinda stalker-ish style), I found out they live in the same city as us. Whuuuu???? I'm no statistician, but those odds seem pretty remote.

So, in a nutshell, Nico will have to endure a few cheek snurgles from me***

My reason for sharing this is two-fold:
1. God deserves all the glory for answered prayers.
2. I want to support this family as they labor to bring Nico home, redeemed into a family. You will see more of their story. I'm already asking you to head over to Kara's blog and donate a lil' something, or enter into one of her super cool raffle drawings.

After you do that, go see the happenings at Reese's Rainbow. You never know. You may see your kiddo staring back at you. A little boy or girl who has been asking themselves, "Where the heck is my mom and dad?".

Remember, our God moves mountains. And not just for Nico. He wants to do the same in your life and mine too.

Watching Expectantly,
Cynthia



*Also referred to as "Divine Appointment" by scholars and other people who use big words.
**Just for the record, I'm all for massages. They're a thin slice of heaven.
***Relax people. I'll wait for the "all clear" from Kara.