Divine Appointments

 Awwww......look at this beautiful family!  We stick out just a bit.  Most  All the time.  Sometimes I have to admit it gets old, but really it is only when people are rude or say things that hurt my feelings.  MOST of the time there are great conversations to be had about adoption or large families or how we depend on God for everything. 

 I ABSOLUTELY LOVE divine appointments though.  With our family they seem to happen a lot......

 or maybe we go looking for them......

 or maybe we just enjoy seeing who God wants us to meet next?

 Whichever, it is doesn't really matter.  What matters is that we take time to listen and share GOD! 

 I have heard a person talking lately on not wanting to talk about adoption so much anymore and more about God.  I AGREE in that if we let adoption, feeding the hungry, or helping with children's church be more important than God- that is backwards. 

 ****OK HAVE TO STOP HERE BECAUSE I MEAN LOOK AT THIS PICTURE!!!!!  Does it not just make you want to cry he is sooooo CUTE?  awwww.........

 For our family when we see people counting us (I recently told my oldest to just turn around and shout- 9! She didn't think I was that funny.), staring at us coming out of our 15 passenger van, looking at our carts overflowing in the grocery store, or just seeing us all hike to the water falls together in a long line......they wonder a lot of things. 

 FIRST and foremost when we share about adoption, foster care, large families, or the many blessings we have we let them know WHO IS OUR ROCK!  WHO created our family.  WHO is the one who ADOPTED ALL OF US! 

 Some people are not talkative people.  So it is hard to strike up a conversation. 

 Some people are very private and I respect that. 

 (**this was not done by us, but how cute is this?)

 For us though we have chosen to be open about our lives as long as it is glorifying to GOD ALONE,  AND - THIS IS HUGE- so that our children are being respected! 

 A question came up recently on a facebook group I am in about telling your children's stories.  Some people don't say a word. at. all.  That is perfectly fine. 

 We have decided as a family though that we would share bits of our stories.  Parts that are not in depth, and yet give people a realization that this is for real, and that God has created each child for HIM.  That there are 163 MILLION orphans that NEED HOMES! 

 We talk about it a lot in our home.  How we share.  What we share.  When we share. 

 On our vacation there were 2 different families that we were extremely blessed to talk with!  One was a family that recently moved back there.  They had lived in a few different places sharing the gospel.  Our kids loved playing together!  It was a great time. 

 The other family was one that found us on facebook :)  And now we can keep in contact!  They had just moved back and had gone through a lot of heartache with failed adoptions :(.  Our hearts cried with theirs over their losses as we shared our losses too.  It is not a fun conversation, but one that drew us both closer to the Lord as we stood in a parking lot and talked. 

 WOW- what if we had missed these appointments?  What if we hadn't shared our stories?  We would have missed out!  We would not have seen God knit our hearts together and help us heal.  We would not have been able to connect on facebook and continue to support each other. 

 I truly believe with all my heart that many of us are called to divine appointments, but sometimes we - and yes I said we because I am guilty of overlooking things too!- are in a hurry and we miss a huge opportunity! 

 We were on the beach a while before vacation and we met a lady there who inquired about our family.  You could tell she was genuinely interested and loved watching our kiddos play and us love on them.  Turns out she handed us money to bless us!  We did not ask for that.  It was of GOD!  HE told her to bless us!  She went to her car to get some paper and a pen to get our information to stay in contact.  Now her ladies ministry group wants to continue to pray for us and bless us even more!

People I can not make these things up!!!!!  If God designs a divine appointment, then ANSWER! 

 Just like our beautiful family.  We said yes.  Sometimes it felt like hearts ripping apart, sometimes it felt like the adrenaline rush of roller coaster, sometimes we were soo unsure of everything we knew.  BUT GOD had a divine appointment! 

 God doesn't just want to answer your prayers in small ways, although HE DOES. 

 God wants to give you pure JOY!  Just like our Michael in this picture!  That JOY that only can come from HIM. 

 If we walk away or lose hope......

 We can never know what could be around the corner. 

 That is why we share our story.  Because we want to give you HOPE TOO!

 It is so good and wonderful and awe inspiring- ya gotta dance!!!!!

 You want to shout it out!

 Tell everyone you know about it! 

 When was the last time you had a divine appointment? 

 Had one today with an elderly lady and her granddaughter at the eye appointment.  They were marveling at how many children I had with me.  They said - surely not all of these children are yours?  Yes mam they are.  She asked how in the world I do it.  My answer- GOD!  LOTS OF PRAYER!  No really I am on my knees all the time. 

 Great place to be really.  The most peaceful place in the midst of the storm.  The most safe place to be in the middle of that hurricane. 

I love Divine Appointments!  I write them down.  We talk about them with our children.  We share it with others.  Because it is a part of God's story.  It is what He wants His children to be be doing.

I pray for courage for you to do the same.  It doesn't matter what your story is or how "vanilla" or how "rainbow" flavored it is.  It matters that you are willing to share what God has put on your heart.  Allowing Him to say the words.  Let Him do the talking and I guarantee whether it is comforting someone just by being there or sharing your testimony God will be Glorified!

****If you do have children with a story.  Talk with them about it.  Ask them continually if there are things strangers say that hurt their feelings.  How you can deal with that together.  Sometimes you have to forgive them even if they don't ask for it.  Sometimes you have to have a "family response" that you say to certain comments that you plan ahead of time.  Sometimes there are no words for people who do not engage the thinking before saying hurtful and rude things- in that case what a perfect opportunity to teach your children to pray for them and remember how it feels to be hurt with words.  Nothing more powerful than a live lesson even when it does hurt.  We have lots of "stock answers" that we give.  We choose to share more with those that have a genuine heart and want to hear more as the Spirit leads.  :)