The challenge given by Tom Davis is to have 500 of his friends/readers (I would be a reader.) Just finish this sentence: "Warner Bros. new horror movie Orphan proclaims that it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own. Let me tell you about how an orphan changed my life..."
In 2007, the Lord brought the face of a little boy and the name of a little boy to me in prayer. This little boy was an orphan in Guatemala. The Lord led me to him through many people. My husband and I prayed for him, fervently. Through a "Seeds of Change" devotional by Show Hope, our prayers changed from "Lord, please let us adopt him, to "Lord, please let him go back to his family." In July of 2008, Gabriel went home with his family. It's difficult to put into words how this little tiny boy changed our lives. Gabriel's face gave us motivation to continue on when we thought we could go on no more in prayer for him. Through Gabriel, the Lord opened our hearts little by little to His work in orphan and adoption ministry. Just last week, Jim and I returned from a trip to Casa Bernabe, the orphanage where Gabriel lived for the first 18 months of his life. Christ is the center of Casa Bernabe. I still stand in awe that God would allow me to go and spend one week with such precious children. What a blessing. It was very clear to me on the airplane (first flight ever!) that the Lord was orchestrating this whole thing because in my own power, my feet would have stayed on the ground. While at Casa Bernabe, again, through small whispers, the Lord showed me over and over how He has orchestrated the last two years and His invitation to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. The Lord's vision of Gabriel, has led us to the adoption of our son and daughter. We are currently waiting to see their faces for the first time. We know without a doubt that God has these two precious treasures waiting in the wings. So amazing. So, this little orphan (temporarily, praise God) has totally changed our lives. The Lord used this "angel", Gabriel, much like Gabriel, the angel, visited Mary to tell of a wonderful birth that was about to take place. For us, it's the birth of a calling in orphan/adoption ministry and our two children. For Mary, the birth of our savior.
Thank you, Father, for the birth of your son. Thank you for speaking to us, Lord. Thank you for choosing to work through us. You amaze me. I love you, Lord. Amen.
You can visit Tom Davis' blog @ http://tomdavis.typepad.com
