Our hearts greatest desire is to be an example of Christ. God has called our family to adoption in a very powerful way and we want others to be challenged in their own lives, in their own family's to think, "Does God have more for us outside of our comfort zone?" Committing to Solomon's special needs would classify us as "outside of OUR comfort zone" but NOT outside GOD'S comfort zone!! Starting Solomon's adoption at a time when we were and still are greatly struggling financially was also 'outside of our comfort zone' BUT God's comfort zone is so much greater than ours...THANKFULLY!! He purposely calls us outside of our comfort, cozy, skatin' by zone so that He can stretch us, challenge us, & move us boldly for Him...so that we can be used and changed mightily.
I am sharing this very private part of our son's life with the hopes that his story...our family's story would challenge you. My heart feels that there is a family RIGHT NOW on the brink of making a huge decision but are afraid to step out in faith & trust the Lord...THAT is why I am sharing this. I am confident that the second you read this post, you will know who you are & what the Lord wants you to do & you will be able to take that leap of faith in God's perfect peace!!
Our family is asking you to please handle our son's story with great respect. Especially those of you who know us personally...this is not a time to begin gossiping! The enemy would love to take something wonderful and have it cause hurt. We have struggled with how much we should share and when we should share it but feel that now is the time.
Solomon was born with imperforate anus. You can read more about this medical need here. Interesting fact: 1 in 5,000 babies are born with this defect!!! The medical information in his referral was pretty much non-existent. We committed to him on pure faith that the Lord would give us everything we need to meet his medical needs. What we know...well, kind of know: We assume that some time shortly after he was found, he had the first repair surgery. We also know that when he was 1 years old, they removed his colostomy bag and he was supposedly good to go. There is a wide range of other medical needs that can come with this birth defect and we are in the very beginning stages of knowing what exactly is going on with our little guy.
One other thing I want to share...we have prayed for the last 9 months about how, when, & what we would share. One of the motivations to share honestly about Solomon's medical needs is that our boy was waiting on the shared sn's list TWICE and his file was about to be returned, again. His dossier was dated early 2008 which means 2 years of his life was spent waiting for his forever family to find him. Kiddos with this special need typically wait, wait, and wait some more...some NEVER get a family. It can be a scary medical need with lots of unknowns BUT it doesn't change the fact that these sweet one's need to come home. They need the opportunity to be loved, to receive the medical care that they desperately need. If this medical need isn't cared for properly, the child will die!!!
Our time on this earth is so short yet the work to be done is great! I don't want to stand before my Lord and be ashamed that I wouldn't allow Him to use me to the fullest because I was afraid to leave my comfort zone.
As I watch my newest sleeping babe, I wonder what exactly is going on with his precious body. I think about all that could be going on and can easily become overwhelmed. BUT I'm reminded of all God has done to bring our boy home and I'm comforted knowing that He has already prepared us to care for him. I'm reminded that God has clearly called us down this journey and that He will continue to guide us!
We would covet your continued prayers as we begin the medical journey for our guy...a journey that will most likely start/end up at Cincinnati Hospital. This means that we will have to travel away from our kiddos once again...I will mostly likely go and daddy will stay home. We are not sure how soon we will have to take this trip but I'm guessing within the next few months.
Is there something that you know the Lord is calling you to do? Something He is calling you to surrender? A precious one He is calling to be yours but you are afraid? My hearts greatest plea would be that you spend some quiet time with God and really seek His word for wisdom. DON'T BE AFRAID TO TAKE THAT STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE & INTO GOD'S COMFORT ZONE!!! :)
