As I have had this opportunity to write out His story through her story, I have had a front seat view of the hands and feet of Jesus.
This past weekend, we had some pretty incredible people come together and give what they could to multiply the effect by working together, leading to some astounding results. We are fully funded. Our friends, family and church community surrounded us with their loaves and fishes to help us bring our daughter home. I was overwhelmed with the love poured out on us as we hosted a Silent Auction with an authentic Russian dinner as a fundraiser.
As I stood there, gazing out over the crowded room full of the village who will raise her, my heart was full. I reflected, that we are all called to look after the orphan and widow, but most people don’t know how. Not all are able to actually adopt, but with creativity, we can all play a part. That was mirrored in the room that night.
To help you see that you, even YOU, can join in, let me share with you some of the ways that I have seen His hands and feet over the past few months.
I saw His hands in the one who used her photography skills to take our family pictures so that we could have quality pictures for our dossier and a family book for her.
I saw Him in the hands and feet of the young married couple (who we adore) that offered their time to babysit for us free of charge whenever we needed to get adoption related things done. Time for paperwork, errands, and even driving with me to the Secretary of State so I had company to drive 6 hours in one day.
I have watched time and again as His hands have worked through a godly woman giving of her time and skills to notarize our documents for free, even if she had to travel to do so.
I have seen His feet through those who have offered to take our documents to our state capital to the Secretary of State for apostille, simply because they’d be in the area. These weren’t even people we knew. They were fellow adoptive families that just understand that it’s not easy to run up and back to the SOS–a 3 hour drive both ways–at the drop of a hat. Often times these documents are time-sensitive and having people with a simple willingness is a burden lifted.
I have seen His whole body through those who have done nothing more than the powerful work of prayer. They have graciously received texts and emails in urgent moments and prayed us all the way through each situation that has risen. They are the ones who stood side by side with me and watched as mountains moved, standing in awe at the work of His hands. I wish I could list each one of them, but they each quietly do their part and wish for no recognition.
His hands and feet have been evident in those who have cared (and still will over the next few weeks) for my children back here at home. The part that has blessed me the most through it all is that they have each willingly given of their time and with a great attitude. They have never made me feel like my children are a burden. Some of them even came to me and asked if they could bless me in this way–I didn’t have to to ask them first.
I have seen His hands and feet through those who have generously given us their hand-me-downs and even worked at gathering her clothes from multiple sources to make sure she is clothed.
I have seen Him in my parents who have selflessly, daily collected our mail, taken in garbage cans, watered our garden and fed our pets while we travel. They have managed the “master child care plan” for me while I am in EE–making sure that each of my children get where they need to go and filling in when needed.
He’s been seen in the simple hands of the dental hygienist who only sees me 2x per year. She gave me an almost full box of diapers from Costco that she no longer needs.
I have seen His whole church body rise up as financial and tangible items were donated for our Silent Auction and Dinner. We had over 50 items and had to start turning people away because we didn’t have enough room for such outpouring!
I saw His hands in the woman who I barely know that gathered over 20 matryoshka dolls for the decorations at our Silent Auction and Dinner. And I can’t forget those additional individuals who lent their matryoshka dolls for the evening.
His hands and feet were seen in the couple who rallied their family and friends from EE to download Russian music, help with the Olivier salad and to bend over backwards to get us a Russian flag for our fundraiser.
I saw His hands in the group of Eastern European and non-Eastern European women alike who selflessly cut, chopped, diced, sliced, cooked, peeled, shopped more than once for non-rotten cabbage, and consulted on authentic method and flavor to serve up the most amazingly delicious Olivier Salad, Borcht, Podliva and Kasha.
I saw Him in the one who shopped for me last minute when I nearly lost my mind over all that needed to be accomplished on the day of our Silent Auction and Dinner.
His hands were seen in the those (all left-handed, at that) that painstakingly sat around tables cutting out matryoshka doll crafts for the kids to make at our Silent Auction and Dinner.
Hands that look like mine have been seen making lemonade and selling it to neighbors, buying items at the Silent Auction with their own money, setting tables and serving up food at our fundraiser, helping to move bedrooms around, washing sheets, making her bed, folding her clothes and picking out toys.
His hands and feet were evident in the two adoptive couples who came alongside us and took the Silent Auction portion out of our hands and put on an amazing silent auction!
I have seen His hands in the evidence of the St. Basil’s Cathedral cake that was intricately woven together by a Master Baker. That cake alone brought in $700 from our dessert auction.
Every single dessert made was a showing of His hands as each person, even some people we didn’t know, who took the time to bake and donate to our dessert auction. On the day of the auction, desserts kept pouring in, many we didn’t even know about until they showed up!
His hand and feet were seen in those that gave of their financial resources to cover the cost of the food at the Silent Auction and Dinner.
I saw His hands in the baristas who gave up their night to serve specialty coffee for our Silent Auction and Dinner. Two of those baristas went above and beyond, staying late into the night doing dishes after the event.
His feet were clearly seen in those people who offered to pick up whatever I needed while they were at the store so I did not have to go out another time for more forgotten items before travel.
Hands, feet and maybe even a bit of His ear stuck to the phone has been seen through the husband of the couple who has tirelessly worked to use vouchers and air miles to cover our remaining airline flights.
His hands and feet were evidenced in the Prayer Warrior who advocated for our daughter to find her family and then continued to give people tangible ways to pray and give of their resources.
I have seen His hands in the meal preparation of those who made us a meal in the last hours before we traveled so I could focus on packing. For that matter, I saw His hands in those who blessed us with meals upon our arrival home after we brought home Daughter of Purpose. Often times, adoptive families get overlooked in this area. Those who birth their biological babies are showered with meals, but generally, people neglect to realize that a big transition is also in order for an adoptive family, no matter the age of the child. A simple meal would go a million miles no matter where the new child comes from.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James 1:27 (emphasis mine)
Looking across that room, was like a billboard of advertisement that we can all play our part in James 1:27, even if it’s just showing up. Some of those people that filled the room were unknown to us, but they came. Some shopped the auction and maybe some did nothing more than just pay the $10 to eat the meal, but they came. Their presence showed us their support of us, but more than anything, they showed their support of adoption. Every person in that room (and even those who couldn’t make it but sent donations) was playing their part in James 1:27.
How about YOU? I truly believe that every single person can be a part of looking after the orphan if they just get creative. What skills do you have or what time can you give to an adoptive family? The things I’ve listed above are certainly not exhaustive, but I bet you can find yourself in at least one of those things and play YOUR part.
i read this when you first posted, but couldn’t comment. that cute picture on FB reminded me to.
i LOVE it. i love how He’s used people and their talents and gifts to pour love into you and into sweet Anika! what an awesome picture of how we ALL can do something.
so happy for you all! praying for you all the time still!
This is an incredible post showing so much LOVE! Tears of JOY for y’all! That Cake looks amazing! I had been praying for Anika to have a family and her picture was on our fridge for a very long time. She’s looks so precious.