"Hello, Mrs. Leah?"
"Yes, that's me. Do you have a baby girl who needs a home?"
"Yes, I sure do! You are the first person I called. Here's what I know..."
After four weeks of accepting calls, we started to learn the CPU ("Child Placing Unit") workers' names! This particular worker, we'll call her Gloria, had called several times before and mentioned that she was keeping a special eye out for a baby for us. And when I heard her voice I just knew it was finally going to happen. She was the same one who had called about Baby S. Gloria told us everything she knew about Baby K and I could barely keep from interrupting her with a loud "YES!" My heart was about to jump out of my chest as the Lord's peace ripped all my previous anxiety and anticipation to shreds. The last week of waiting had been especially hard and prayers were the only thing holding my emotions together. When I felt overwhelmed, I prayed. When I felt impatient, I prayed. When I felt bored, irritated, and annoyed at life, I prayed. And then I cleaned my house! So, I'm very happy to say that my prayer life has never been better and my house has never been cleaner, ha!
For weeks I had felt like the Lord was saying, "Today is the day!" Turned out it was just my own excitement throwing me for a loop, because then I did actually hear the Lord say, "She's coming today." His voice was quite different than the voices my own brain had created: his was gentle, mine was boisterous. His was calming, mine was prideful. His voice only came after diligent, knee-felt prayer that resulted in tired shoulders and stiff legs. His voice was only audible when I was ready to listen with all of my being. And, even then, God's voice wasn't loud. I very well could have missed his words, so I am thankful he opened my heart to listen. And then, at 7:30 in the evening, we received the call!
We still don't know much about Baby K, but we do know she came into care when her mother left her with a friend and never came back. We have no idea why this happened, but after briefly interacting with K's mom at the first family visit the Lord impressed on my heart that K's abandonment was not because her mother intentionally left her but because she felt she had no other option. It was easy to see that she desperately loves her child (as any mother would). However, the expression on K's face when her mother first picked her up was blank and emotionless. It was like K didn't even know her. And I think back about that interaction and wonder if I'm just being judgmental, but I can't get K's look of confusion out of my mind. And I can't get the feeling of sorrow out of my heart for the mother who is attempting to get her child back but has many obstacles to overcome. This broken family stuff is such a mess! All I can do is continue praying for God's will to be done in K's life just like we did for M and S.
Precious K is full of life and happiness! Her endless smiles and chatter are a delight, and her wild hair seems to perfectly represent her vivacious personality. She hasn't met a food she doesn't like, so she's quite a hefty girl. And she doesn't hold still for very long because she either chases the boys around the house or follows me around from room to room like a little puppy. It's a common occurrence to hear her babbling "ma-ma" when she's sad or wants something and "da-da" when she's feeling especially silly (go figure). Baby K will be one-year-old in October, and I'd be willing to bet she'll be walking way before then! She also likes to blow raspberries, which our boys think is absolutely hilarious. The challenges so far include feeding her enough at each meal (lol) and figuring out which clothes she's already outgrown. And with today marking a week that she's been in our home, we sure are glad to have her lively presence bring even more joy to our family.
We found out a few days ago that Baby K has the SAME JUDGE as Baby M! This is an amazing blessing. I look forward to attending her hearings and being able to express K's wonderful progress and happiness to the judge who was so encouraging when M left. As a child of God, I don't believe in coincidences, so this was one of those "Hey, Leah, look at this impossible thing I just made happen" moments from God. He is so amazing!!! All glory to the Lord.
Please pray for us as we wait for K's insurance information to arrive (she came to us with no medical records). Also, K's mother only speaks Spanish, so I will be writing and translating a letter to give her at the next family visit. I don't know exactly what I will write yet...but I know the Lord will give me the words. Please pray that my words would provide healing, encouragement, and support to K's mother. And thank you for the many ways you all support our family! We are blessed beyond measure to have such a great "village" of family members, friends, and church family to help us along this journey.
The "grit" in my faith - the result of sufferings, trials, and losses - is spreading a message of sacrifice within
