Our Bella is 10!
TEN!!!
She has hit the double digits!!
Happy Birthday Bella!
Even now 10 years later as I think back to that weekend ... the weekend that completely changed our life ... I still can't help it but smile and SHOUT PRAISES to my Creator. SO I know I've shared her story on here before, but it just doesn't get old for me and I don't think it EVER will!
We were NOT planning on being parents ... quite yet.
We were NOT planning on staying in NJ ... any longer.
We were NOT planning on missing our trip to the Faroe Island and Europe ... we had planned it for years.
We were NOT planning the miraculous and wonderful ... BUT GOD WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!
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(Bella a few months old)
I love the way God prepares our hearts.
Sam and I had not even began to talk about "when" we were going to have kids, we were still at the two year or so away mark. Yet STILL God was preparing my heart and in a still moment in the December before Bella was born I heard God say "there will be a baby next years." I was dumbfounded but wrote it down in my journal. The months that followed we actually did talk about adopting a little boy out of the foster system who I was working with but felt God say "no" so we didn't - and thought in a couple of years we will be parents.
BUT literally within a weekend we BECAME PARENTS, of the most beautiful precious baby girl who was just three days old. We had NO paperwork done and did everything backwards. We had no baby stuff and did everything backwards.
When I think back to that weekend. I can't help but also think of Bella's birth mom who really did one of the most self-less acts I can think of. She out of love wanted Bella to have what she could not provide for her. I'm sure her heart was breaking, her face told it all.
I think about the years that have past and what Bella's life could have been life, and I SEE God's hands of PROTECTION over her life ... on SO MANY levels.
I think about the years that have past and what our life could have been life, without our sweet Bella, and I SEE God's hand of BLESSINGS over our life ... on so many levels!
God gave us such peace over the whole weekend, we really did not even discuss what to do. We instantly KNEW that Bella was meant to be our daughter. In the moment when Bella's birth mom choose us, I remember God clearly saying to me "I am giving you Isabella has a sacred gift. She will be one of your greatest joys and gifts." And SHE IS, SHE IS!!!
SING PRAISES with me to my Creator, Father, and King who not only had the BEST plans for our sweet Bella all taken care of, but for us as well!!
If you are considering adoption ... consider it ... REALLY consider it! As Francis Chan said, "duh," scripture doesn't get any clearer, we the BODY OF BELIEVERS, ARE take care of the orphan. No it does not have to be adoption, BUT WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY NOT ADOPTION?????????
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