The Call That Changed Our Lives!

2 years ago today, a seed was planted in our hearts and our lives have been forever changed!!!

I remember sitting in the gym watching my oldest playing basketball when the text message came in from my best friend.

It read something like, "Hey are you busy? I wanted to talk."

If you know anything about me and my best friend Teresa, we LOVE talking, walking, and trying our hardest at solving the worlds problems! So I immediately think she wants to do just that! I text back telling her I will call when I leave.

Never did I imagine what she was about to tell me. Never did I imagine that in that conversation seeds of fostering would be planted. Never did I imagine hearing, "Are you sitting down, because God has really laid your family on my heart about something."

Yikes. When God puts someone on our hearts it's an amazing feeling, but sometimes for those placed on our hearts it can be a very overwhelming and scary feeling.

That night as God planted the seed of our God given Princess through my best friend, I remember feeling just like that. Flooded with emotions of joy, excitement, worry, fear, and doubt.

Could we really do this? Was God truly calling our family on the journey of foster care?  What would everyone say? Were we really capable of all God had in store?

Question after question flooded my mind.

Now I had this hope of this Princess that I had prayed for, but then in that hope was doubt that we could truly do this. Why are we always so doubtful of God's plans? For me, honestly it's because I can't control God's plans. I can't see the end result, and it's hard.

I remember being scared to even plant this amazing seed in Clayton's heart, but the words came out of my mouth just as God intended them to come. He simply replied with, "Just call tomorrow and see what they (the state) says."

Then I start to question again. Wait, is he really on the same page? Surely he doesn't really want this. Do I really call? God, please speak to us.

The amazing thing is, God did speak to us. He spoke to us through my best friend. So often in our lives we want that big flashing billboard that reads..."THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE TO DO." However, those billboards don't come like that exactly. They come in even better ways. Through His word, prayer, friends, family, etc.

We shared this Princess with our boys and made a commitment to pray nightly for her. We prayed specifically for God's will to be done above all. We explained to our boys that sometimes in life we want things so badly, but it's not always Gods timing or plan, but that we have to be obedient in His calling.

From that day forward God led. Doors opened and God revealed things to us every step of the way. He remained sovereign and in control even when we doubted. He never left our side and He never failed  us.

2 years later we now stand as a family of 7 with 4 homegrown boys and 1 beautiful God given Princess Kia Suzanne Brown through the gift of adoption!

This journey has showed us and taught us more than we could have ever imagined, but we would have it no other way. Today was the day our lives were forever changed!

If God has called you on a path or a journey that you never imagined to be on I encourage you to seek Him daily and call upon Him. Be obedient and have faith His will be done!