salute

this evening i had the joy

of opening my ice box door and going

to the bottom shelf, where i've been chilling something.

if you recall, a few months ago i placed a bottle of bubbly into my chiller. i did so because it looked the it would soon be time to celebrate leslie and jake getting the call from their ethiopian adoption agency. that call would signify that the baby that God had chosen for them was ready to officially begin the journey home.

on friday, leslie and jake got THAT call. they prayed over this sweet baby all weekend and intentionally sought God's will for their family. i have had the joy all weekend, and for the past two years or so to join hands with them in prayer. as they have walked each step of this journey, i have been blessed with the opportunity to lift their needs heavenward and share in the process.

it has been a beautiful process to be a part of. to see their hearts as they walk forward in their calling to adopt a child into their family has been inspiring. they have handled each and every step of this journey with care, love, compassion- sweet leslie and a team of prayer warriors have been praying for this birth mother and this baby girl for well over two years! seriously- watching leslie's heart unfold for this baby girl has been such a gift.

and so tonight, i raise my glass to leslie and jake, oliver and Elihu and the sweet baby girl who gets the joy that this family imparts to all those that they touch. praise be!

salute!

and while i thought that i would end this post with that, i can't control the tingles that i feel for this baby girl. i fast forward in my mind and think of her life- her momma is an amazing writer, cook, and newly passionate crafter. she is imaginative and reverent, thoughtful and soft spoken. i can only imagine how that translates into their mother/daughter relationship! i picture this sweet girl making jam with her momma and being the assistant as her momma sews her halloween costume. i picture them telling her stories of ethiopia and incorporating the culture of her birth into the tapestry of her life. i picture her toddling behind her brothers, eating tomatoes off of the vine. i picture her taking to the acoustic guitar and singing vocals for the all boys band that her brothers have formed in their living room. and then i picture her wedding. i picture being there and telling her the story of a momma that prayed. a momma that had faith in the seed God planted in her heart. i picture telling her how six mommas in an email based prayer group covered this girl with prayer (that's a story for another day). and then i picture telling her how we loved her before we knew her and how her sweet life and journey to iowa is part of my journey- how praying alongside her family brought me closer to God. praying is such a mysterious thing, but i stand here tonight (sipping some champagne) praising the God that let's us in on the story and molds our hearts in the process.