$500

Last week, my friend Amanda sent me a message asking me to check out the blog of another family raising money to adopt a little girl. I read the blog and have been reading everyday since. I love the creative ideas that she has come up with to raise money for their adoption. Amanda wanted to help us raise money to bring our babies home and we have come up with several ideas that we will share at a later date.

We had made the decision to start the next fundraiser on March 1st. The plan is to raise the 2nd payment amount for our adoption. The only problem was that we still needed to complete the first adoption payment. I decided to sit down and start crunching numbers. After figuring up some totals, I discovered we would only need $500 to make our first payment!!! Scott and I began tossing ideas around. We wanted to raise $500 by the end of February so we could start March off with a bang!

I began to pray and ask God what we could do. I have never been the type of person that thinks God should just hand over the money. I have always been willing to work hard for every penny we have received for our fund. This time was no exception. Nothing we came up with was giving us peace. We didn't want to ask our church family to help us again because they had been helping so much all ready so we just kept praying.

Later last night, I felt that God had given me an idea. I was ready to make a push for this last $500. It was going to take a lot of time, but I didn't care. I want nothing more than to bring my babies home. I was willing to work night and day to get this done. I had all my supplies out and was ready to sit down and watch a movie while I worked. Before I did that, I decided to check my email one last time. Instead of checking my regular email, I checked out adoption email. I don't check it every day and I honestly don't know why I checked it last night.

When I pulled it up, I saw that someone had made a donation through our blog for...you guessed it...$500!! I couldn't believe it! I just started crying! I was so excited! I even called the person and thanked them over and over. Thank you just doesn't begin to express the gratitude I have had in my heart for every person that has helped us along the way.

So now the money is there and we can make our first payment. We will be able to start our home study!! That means 1 payment down and 3 to go plus other fees!! Thank you Jesus!!

Isn't it funny how we ask God to do something and then we are totally shocked when He does it? I was so surprised. I was so focused on doing this in my own strength that I never dreamed that God would lay it on someone's heart to just give $500 to our fund.

I was reminded yet again, that even when it feels that God isn't working, He is. He has been working in my friend Amanda's life concerning adoption. He has been working in this person's life concerning adoption. He has not forgotten us! He has not forgotten the call He placed on our life! What a MIGHTY God we serve!