G.A.S.P.

Just a reminder: the blog is going private next week!  I've loved hearing from so many of you--it took a drastic measure to get some of you to de-lurk!  Ha!  You will need an invite to view the private blog. Just leave a comment with your email address, let me know on Facebook, or email me privately at brazenlilly@hotmail.com and I will add you to the list.

A friend of mine recently told me about a concept she learned through Moms in Touch.  It's called G.A.S.P. which is a cheesy mnemonic device for the very real and non-cheesy promise that God Answers Specific Prayers.  We have been SO BLESSED by how many of our friends and family (and blog lurkers!) have come along on this journey with us, and many of you share our faith and have offered to pray for us as we finish the waiting chapter and begin the new chapter of meeting and getting know our new son.  I wanted to take a few blog posts and give you some of our specific prayer requests so you can have an idea of what is deepest on our hearts and intercede for us as we will, most likely, be pretty weary travellers.

#1
My number one prayer request is this: I PRAY THAT IN EVERY ASPECT OF THIS ADOPTION THAT GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED.  God has blessed me with a big mouth and fast typing fingers and a desire to document our story, but I will tell you this:  I am not any more special or amazing than any of you reading this.  I never want people to look at us and think what wonderful people we are because we are adopting.  My heart's desire is for people to hear my story and say WOW!  Praise God!  He CALLED this family to adopt, He made it possible for them to do it, and now there is going to be one less orphan in this world!  God has provided a father to the fatherless, and he CARES for children.

People. You gotta understand.  HE CHANGED MY HEART!  He opened my eyes in January of 2010 and said "Jennifer.  Look around this world.  There are millions of children who need a home, and you are going to open yours.  This is not someone else's problem.  It is yours.  It breaks My heart and for MY GLORY, I am going to break yours.  You don't think you can do it, but I will help you.  YOU WILL NOT BE ALONE IN THIS." 

TRUE. STORY.

(BTW, praise God He did a similar work in my husband at the same time!  But this is my blog and so I'm telling you about the conversation He had with me.)

So, if you are praying, pray that as we encounter multiple friends and acquaintances here in the US, as we meet many adoptive families around the world, as we share our news with Target employees, travel agents, hotel workers, social workers, tuk-tuk drivers and FOSTER MOTHERS, that the focus will not be on us.  It will be on HIM.  That something about our story will strike a chord and draw all eyes to the Almighty.  Because this plan was HIS, and we're just grateful we were invited to be a part.

As an addendum to this request, my prayer is that our story will peak the curiosity and conviction of other families about their ability and calling to adopt, and/or take up the cause of orphans. One of the best gifts anyone has given me (and I've been very spoiled these last couple of months!) was a heart-felt, stream of consciousness letter from a very good friend.  She told me how God has used OUR adoption to change HER.  She does not feel called to adopt, but she, too, has felt God open her eyes to the needs of orphans around the world.  She is learning, praying, giving, supporting and educating others, and this conviction kind of began from me talking her ear off about this little baby boy in Thailand. 

Thank you for reading, supporting and praying!  I have 3 more specific requests that I'll share soon.  Also?  We leave in 12 days.  !!!!!!