How did we get here?

So, why now? The question we've asked ourselves and have been asked by others. "Why now?" God's timing is rarely ours. We've learned this the hard way. Had we been obedient to His call sooner, this question could have come up two, three or maybe even four years ago. However, His timing is perfect and in our imperfectness He has made us "ready" to step out in faith and obedience. Wow, that's scary. One thing is certain, when we step out in faith we will never be the same. That's scary too!

Our story isn't that exciting or dramatic. It's just simple. The Lord pricked my heart for orphans many years ago. I had a great talent in closing my ears and moving along with life. However, it wasn't until we had little L and our sweet boy was placed in NICU did I finally have to stop and listen. We were forced to flex our faith muscle in a way we hadn't before. We had to let go of our little L and be faithful that the Lord would keep him safe when we physically couldn't. As we cried over our circumstance, the Lord's voice was softly encouraging and convicting me. The NICU is a sad, sad place. It sucks the joy out of you and in joy's place comes fear, a loss of control, and sadness...IF you let it.  Our short stay provided us with even more hope and faith in our Lord. It also provided us with a vision we hadn't expected. We saw sweet little souls fighting for their lives. Throughout our week long trial James 1:27 came to my mind frequently. I asked, "What do orphans and babies in the NICU have in common?" Well, as hubby and I sat together in the NICU one afternoon, we experienced a heart-wrenching circumstance that solidified what these sweet babies have in common. A little one coded, frenzy ensued quickly in the NICU. In those terrifying moments, I prayed hard for that sweet baby. During that prayer, the Lord spoke clearly...."GO. Care for little ones that need tender touches just as these little ones do. Their circumstances may be different but their need is the same." To experience a little one fight for their life and by God's intervention come back was amazing. And then it hit me...The need is great. Overwhelmingly, take your breath away great. We can't provide for ALL of their physical needs but we can provide a hope, a promise for their sweet souls in Jesus Christ. We are parents, we have a daddy and mommy heart. We can provide a fatherly and motherly touch that is just as crucial for these children. We can go and be His hands. A few months later, with hubby's blessing, we began to pray, discern, research all that we could on orphans in Africa. Since opening this door, we have been blessed with a number of church friends that are eager to walk along side of us, share their wisdom, encourage us and pray for us. What a blessing. So, now we are at point "A" getting ready for point "B". WOW!!! Thank you God for your patience.