The journal I bought for this last Bible study says, "Dream Big" on it. I just thought it was pretty, but those words have caused me to realize a couple of things about myself. First, sometimes I dream very small and God shows up really big. In less than a week, we sold our house in Lake Wylie and bought a house in Wilmington. Crazy!
Second, other times I dream big but don't expect God to show up and allow for that dream to happen. For example, adoption has expanded my mind as far as the size of the family I believe God possibly has for us! As we were looking through the home we later put an offer on this weekend, I said in disbelief, "This place has room for my five kids." Chloe was speechless for all of two seconds (that in itself is an act of God), then looked and me and said, "FIVE! You want five?" Shockingly my eight-year-old hasn't heard all I've said the past three years of this adoption journey. "Yes," I responded emphatically. She wanted to know why and I just said, "There are a lot of kids that need a home. I have in my head a picture of our family. There are five kids and I think that's from God." Then she quickly calmed down and said, "Oh, well if God says so," and shrugged her shoulders and moved on.
On a side note, a friend asked Chloe why we were moving and she said, "God told us to." I love how she connects the dots. She understands that sometimes it's hard and other times it's easy, but regardless we try to follow God's plan.
Later, we walked through a huge model home and Violet loved it, mainly because it was like a giant maze and she could hide. Plus, we recently stayed with a friend who has a three-story house. Violet was amazed and wants one so badly. I hated to tell her that we did the three-level townhouse at one point and stairs become your nemesis very quickly. V said, "I want to live in this house when I grow up." I said, "Dream big baby." Is this likely to happen? Ehh, probably not, monetary wealth is not in our genetic code but why would I stifle her dreams?
Knowing V, she will be the one with the big house and the most generous heart. She is already the most generous person in our family (she gets it from her daddy). Knowing Chlo and her desperate love of babies, she is going to have seven kids! She is definitely the one most in love with babies in our family!
I want my kids to think big and dream big. Live their lives bigger than their school, neighborhood, church, and country. I want them to experience diversity and not just on a mission trip. I want them to see the majesty of our God. We serve a big, big God, so why would we ever settle for a small relationship with Him? My kids will learn in time that dreaming big doesn't result in everything going your way and getting a big house. Dreaming big God's way is both hard and easy, both painful and rewarding, but in the end we find ourselves in the center of His perfect plan!
That perfect plan finds us changing locations in the middle (hopefully, toward the end) of an adoption. This week I resubmitted our South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) paperwork to once again get proof that, no, we are not criminals and no, we are not child abusers. Then I got fingerprinted for the FBI to shockingly discover...wait for it--I am not a criminal. In a month or so after we close on our new house, we get to do it all over again for North Carolina. Then we will have a social worker come out to see our new home and update our home study to our new address. Then, it's time to update our immigration paperwork--that is the pricey one! Once again, I say with great confidence we are the safest people you could ever leave your child with.
So, that's the latest and greatest in our world. Please continue to pray for our future kiddo, smooth transitions and God to continue His work. Here's the house I know God selected for us because it's too perfect!
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