“For in You the fatherless finds mercy.” . . . . . (Hosea 14:3b)

Here is another story of another CCC family whose lives have been blessed by the ministry of adoption.  The goal of this year's Micah 6:8 initiative is to make it financially feasible for more families to adopt. 

                  My wife and I moved to Hudson 12 years ago with one biologic son in tow.  Within a few years we adopted our daughter domestically through a Christian adoption agency in the south.  Both our children came to us in specific, miraculous ways and I was content with the gift of two kids.  As time passed, my wife and I became increasingly compelled to live our lives with greater intention.  We each prayed that the Lord would use every bit of what was left of our lives for His glory, His kingdom.  But it still surprised me when, at age 50, my wife approached me with a request to pray for two older children that had been orphaned in Guatemala.  My first response to her request was, “No!”  Surely more children at my age wasn’t His good plan.  At first I tried to pray this away.  I know now that was a faithless idea.  We were challenged to change our lives and I did not want to do it.  Henry Blackaby writes in his book Experiencing God, “You must make adjustments in your life to be part of what God is doing.”  We weakly said yes, and believe the Lord asked us to trust Him to open our hearts, our family, our everything, to these two abandoned souls.  Through that journey we tentatively began to walk where our feet could not touch and to place all our hope fully in the One that was our sure footing.  We have a family picture we took at the foot of the cross overlooking Antigua, and the foot of the cross is just where we have had to stay for some time.  We have been more scared than brave, more weak than strong, more doubting than faithful… but the Lord has shown up at every turn.  We have found mercy.

Now, five years later, we are clearly a family that turns heads.  And we love what God has done to bring us together!  Through the process we have mourned and rejoiced, cried and laughed, prayed and waited, and in this the Lord has healed us and challenged us and changed us.  We have made many adjustments and have many more to go, but the Lord has been faithful to provide what we need in every circumstance.  We have had to learn firsthand that suffering, perseverance, and developing character lead to hope and hope does not disappoint.  (Romans 5:3)  For our children, as well as for us, He has fulfilled this promise:  “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.”  (John 14:18)