Lavishly Loved

I'm a simple girl with a huge heart for God, family and friends.

Name:
Location: Michigan, United States

Thursday, December 28, 2006

You are a Child of MINE

I am so excited....
Some of you know, while others do not...I'm a new Auntie!!!
My brother and sister in law left Christmas morning (they had to be at the airport at 8 am Christmas morning) for China to pick up their new baby girl :) Her name is Adie...and I can't wait to get pictures, so I can show her off to all of you.

I have so much to share about Steven & Jani's faith walk over the years ( 7 miscarriages, and 5 adoptions that fell through at the very last second)...

...But there's more about my brother's story that recently, brings tears to my eyes.

I love adoption...I am reminded of God's love for each of us, that He adopts us as His children....their are so many parallels to learn from.

Ephesians 1:4-6 For he CHOSE us in Him, before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. He predestined us to be ADOPTED as HIS sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will, to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves..

The sacrifice, the cost, the unconditional love to adopt a baby and make them a part of your family...

As my brother and Jani were praying as to what to steps to take next, some one introduced them to "the special needs list"...

The are 2 categories in international adoptions.

List #1 are healthy babies.
List #2 are babies that have a special need... (a health problem of some kind, missing a limb, a cleft palette, etc...still each one are so precious!)

....the cost for babies on List #2 is less than babies on List #1...( I cringe to even type that)

...List #2 is usually full of babies that are never adopted, ....for numerous reasons...healthcare cost for these sick babies, is outrageous. People's insurance will not cover the types of surgeries that will give these babies are normal life...another reason that people don't adopt babies with "problems" is that Adoption is VERY expensive...so to pay a Huge price for a baby that has a "special need"...most people inevitability select from List # 1....there is no judgment here, because God has a special family for each of these babies, with special needs...my brother is one of these families.

Recently, I heard a talk about Jesus feeding the Five Thousand. The speaker brought up something close to my heart. The speaker said..."isn't it funny that the disciples got upset with Jesus, when Jesus asks them to pick up the "left overs"..."the broken pieces"...the Disciples were like.."we just witnessed a huge miracle, why on earth would Jesus want us to pick up the crumbs, the left overs, lets just throw them out????"...Isn't that like us today (oh to have the mind of Christ)..but Jesus is different, He knows and sees the potential of the crumbs. That is how God the Father is...HE picks up the broken pieces, the crumbs of our lives...He restores...He doesn't throw us away, even though other people might have in the past...God doesn't...

God revealed to me through my brothers adoption of Adie (and her being on the List # 2-she has a cleft palette)...the same principle...

We are broken people, with broken lives. We might feel we are not attrative, or that we don't have anything to offer to people-and who would want us ?...BUT Christ picks us up, loves us unconditionally...tells us we are beautiful! No matter the HUGE cost... Christ paid the highest price of all...HIS LIFE...for all of us...no matter what list we or anyone else my have us on...

My brother is flying 1,000 of miles to get his new baby girl...God sent Jesus from Heaven to Earth to give His life... to Lavish His Love on us, to call us His Daughter and Son...I John 3:1 (How great is the love the Father has LAVISHED on us, that we should be called children of God! and that is what we are!

and as my brother grabs sweet Adie into his arms, embraces her, lifts her up and twirls her around, (like only a daddy can do), ...saying "you are so beautiful, I love you...you are MY daughter..."
God is saying that to you...whether you've had good parents, bad parents, or no parents at all...The Almighty God of the universe has adopted YOU into His family. He sent His son to die to YOU, and raised Him from the grave to show His love for YOU....YOU are a child of God..

...I pray that each you feel the embrace of our Abba (Daddy) Father...and know how Deep, how wide is His Love for you this New year!

Child of Mine-Mark Schultz
I've been hearing voices
Telling me that I could, Never be what I wanna be.
They're binding me with lies,
Haunting me at night,
And saying there's nothing to believe.
Somewhere in the quietness,
When I'm overcome with loneliness,
I hear You call my name.
And like a father You are near
And as I listen I can hear You say
Chorus:
You are a child of Mine
Born of My own design
And you bear the heart of life.
No matter where you go,Oh, you will always know
You have been made free in Christ.
You are a child of Mine
And so I listen as You tell me who I am
And who it is I'm gonna be.
And I hang on every word,
Knowing I have heard
I am Yours and I am free
But when I am alone at night
That is when I hear the lie
You'll never be enough
And though I'm giving into fear
If I listen I can hear You say
Chorus:
You are a child of Mine
Born of My own design
And you bear the heart of life.
No matter where you go,Oh, you will always know
You have been made free in Christ
You are a child of Mine

5 Comments:

Blogger Cheryl said...

Thanks for sharing all this, Stacey. I'm sure I'm not the only reader whose eyes are tearing up....

10:25 AM  
Blogger Kristi Kurtz said...

Loved this blog! You are a great writer.

Love you! Miss you....

7:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great and beautifully written post, lovely lady!!

11:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your last blog entry was in December....just to let you know. :) XOXO
KK

7:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Have you quit blogging? None for 2007 yet....miss it.
Love KK

7:37 AM  

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