little wheat

I hope I never forget yesterday.  Easily one of the most amazing works of the Lord that I have ever witnessed. 

here's the background...

Last Tuesday my friend Sonya called.  There was a baby, a newborn baby girl, who needed an adoptive family.  It was a friend of a - friend of a - friend situation and mostly (I think) we were in shock.  Us? Find a family?  Quickly?  We new the family needed to be locals, they needed to be ready to travel, and they needed to be willing to embrace a host of unknowns.  Domestic adoption here is not usual, there is no clear protocol, and this situation was quite unique.  [Actually, I only know of a few domestic adoptions, and each of them are stories that will blow you away!]

What I'm learning though, is that adoption is actually a lot more common than I thought.  It just doesn't always flow through legal channels and, often times, it's very hush-hush.  More of a "we need help, can you find a family to take our baby, and then someone acts as middle man, passes off the baby and the story stops there" kind of adoption.  Makes me wonder how many adopted children have no idea they were adopted.  And how many parents are carrying heavy secrets that are clothed in silence and shame. 

It didn't take Sonya and I long to rattle off a list of families we thought would be interested.  And I got to make some incredible phone calls.  The "ummm, I know I don't often call you but I have a situation I think you might be interested in and God put you on my heart so anyways, there's a baby girl and ...." kind of phone call. 

One family jumped, said "yes please us" and before I knew it we were on a train, bound for a baby girl that none of us had ever laid eyes on, full of HOPE and FEAR and NERVOUSNESS and PEACE. 

Born to a 17 year old unwed college student who "knew a baby in the womb was a life and a life was preciously valuable" (her words).  

And the adoptive mama was Spirit-filled, and loved this birth mama with the message of HOPE found in Jesus.

And I watched this incredibly brave young lady place her daughter in the arms of a stranger. 

Tears of joy.  Tears of pain.

We got in a car, and drove back to the train station, and brought baby girl home.  

Her adoptive Daddy prayed for years that God would bring them a daughter, a baby sister for their 4 year old son.  He named her Little Wheat. 

I love that little girl.  I love her story.  I love her birth mama and her adoptive mama and the beauty from ashes story that the Lord is writing.

And I still can't believe I got to be there.