'Round His Pierced Feet: T Minus 13 days!

Our Travel Approval came on Tuesday morning this week, so we've been scrambling to book flights and make arrangements this week. Our "gotcha day" has been scheduled for November 5th, so that is the day we will finally be holding (or chasing) our sweet boy! Josh, Sydney and I will be getting on a plane headed for Beijing in just 13 days! (We just have a zillion things to do before then, but no big deal.) The timing is just SO perfect; it's almost like Someone orchestrated it all. 🤔🤔🤔 When we get back home, Brody and Becca will have a week off for Thanksgiving break, which means no morning rush and lots of time for us all to get to know one another. Thank you, Jesus!

We're so grateful that everyone is already celebrating with us! I can't imagine having a more supportive and welcoming community of family and friends. We have felt your prayers, been humbled by your generous gifts and been encouraged by your kind words throughout this whole process. As we get ready to travel, I've had so many people ask me if we need anything. What we truly want and need most is for our trip and Crosby's adjustment to be covered in prayer, because we serve a sovereign and good God who brings beauty from ashes and turns our mourning into dancing. Having been through this process before, we know some of what lies ahead. Adoption is beautiful, but it is born out of tragedy because we live in a broken, hurting world. Things are not as they should be, but praise God for His redeeming work.

Just imagine your almost 2 1/2 year old child being taken from all he knows and being given to people who don't look like him and don't speak his language. It is a terrifying experience for these precious children...to start anew, to fly on big, loud machines in the sky, to eat new foods and not know what's happening. [Just ask me about our flight home with Becca 5 years ago. It still gives me nightmares. Longest day of my life.] Crosby will grieve what he is losing, as he should. He doesn't know what the future holds. He doesn't know this is what's best for him...yet. That takes time...it will take months of cocooning and bonding...for him to feel safe and secure and loved. And, I believe there is a lesson here for us. It reminds me of our own reaction when we find ourselves in less than desirable circumstances, when things are totally beyond our control. I've been there...my life has been turned upside down more than once, and I'm guessing yours has too. What is our raw and honest response in those moments? To throw a big, fat tantrum. Just me? That used to be my M-O. Why? because I couldn't see past the end of my nose. I don't have the foreknowledge that our great God has. I didn't know that what was happening was best for me. Sometimes I still don't understand God's plan. But, after being in relationship with Him for over three decades now, I can finally have peace in the middle of stormy circumstances and rest in His sovereignty because I know Him. I know He is faithful; He has proven it time and time again to me. His ways and His plan are always best, even when things don't make sense in the now. That doesn't stop it from being hard, and that doesn't stop the pain...but He is with us in the hurting. And, honestly, that's all we may be able to do for Crosby during his adjustment. To be with him. To hold him or let him throw his big, fat tantrum and then scoop him up and tell him we love him no matter what. God does this for us, His children, so we do it for ours. We love because He first loved us, and He taught us how.

I have been reading through and meditating on the book of Colossians this month, and it is so rich and overflowing with the things I would ask you to pray on our behalf. Paul and Timothy penned Colossians while Paul was in prison, around A.D. 62. He was writing to the church at Colossae, a fairly young church plant of 7-10 years old. They were facing some deceptive teaching, and Paul longs to shepherd and guide this young body to a more mature faith. I find it so interesting and inspiring that even while imprisoned, Paul's prayers are always full of thanksgiving and are overwhelmingly spoken on behalf of others. It also convicts me, because my prayers usually sound nothing like his. We pray for safety and hope for ease. But not Paul. He understands that God cares more about our character than our comfort. Instead, he prays for and challenges the church to seek deeper things. So, if you would honor us with your prayers, let's follow Paul's example. Yes, we would love to have a smooth, safe trip to China and back home, and I don't think anything is wrong with such a prayer. But, more than that, we want more of God. We want to be changed to be more like Him. So, if you feel compelled to pray for our family over the next few months, I invite you to pray through Colossians with me.

that we would be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, and that we would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:9-10)
that we would be strengthened according to His glorious might, having endurance and patience with joy (Col. 1:11)
that we would have humble and thankful hearts, knowing it is God who has created us and qualified us to share in His inheritance (Col 1:12-18)
that our hope would rest in Him and His salvation, which brings forgiveness, peace and reconciliation with God (Col. 1:19-20)
that we would continue steadfastly in our faith (Col. 1:21-23)
that we would rejoice in our sufferings (Col. 1:24)
that our hearts would be encouraged, being knit together in love (Col. 2:2)
that we would walk with Christ, being rooted and built up in Him, abounding in thanksgiving (Col 2:6-7)
that we would set our minds on and seek things of eternal significance (Col 3:1-2)
that God would give us His love to put on, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Col 3:14)
that Christ's peace would rule in our hearts (Col 3:15)
that all we do and say would be done in His name, with thankfulness (Col 3:17)
that we would work heartily for the Lord and not men, knowing it is Him we serve (Col 3:23-24)
that we would walk in wisdom, making the best use of our time (Col 4:8)
that our speech would always be gracious, so we know how to answer each person (Col 4:6)
that we would fulfill this wonderful ministry we have received from the Lord (Col. 4:17)