One Year Ago Today

I received the first phonecall regarding a 9 1/2 month old baby boy in Haiti. They were calling him baby and wondered if we were interested in him as a referral so we could go ahead and name him and get his file rolling. No picture yet. Had to wait for labs.

His name just rolled right off of my tongue. And that was the beginning of that.

It's been a very long year. My emotions have been like a world-record setting roller coaster.

Today, though, I really wanted to honor and thank God for His goodness to us. As I was reading this morning, I found these two verses, together. Right next to each other.

But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, Oh God, set me on high! I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. --Psalm 69:29-30

Though there may be pain, there is praise!

Thank-you, God, for bringing "baby" our way that day. He is precious in Your eyes. Thank you for allowing us to pray for him. For teaching us to pray in a deeper, more meaningful way. For giving us a heart for the nations. For opening our eyes to the world's need of the gospel. For making our hearts desire to do Your will. For giving us a peace that only YOU can provide amid the storms of emotions that flood our flesh. For protecting him from harm's way up until now, and for teaching us to trust You for this in his future. Thank you, God, for showing me Your promises in a new, fresh way, over and over again. Thank you for Your mercy and tenderness when I turn my eyes from you and become overwhelmed with the tossing waves and storm of this journey.

"Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for them."

"It is true that we endure trials, but it is just is true that we are delivered out of them."

"The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now."

--Spurgeon, June 9th (Wow!) Morning and Evening

So, today, I think I'll open up Joshua's scrapbook and relish the pictures I do have, add a few more pages and get caught up...a year's worth of updates and photos...I didn't have those a year ago, and I'm thankful today that I have a beautiful boy in Haiti, waiting for his forever family, whose Father is God, whose Defender is the Almighty. Hallelujah, what a Savior!