the ride...

and what an *AMAZING* ride this has been!  I feel like we keep getting invited by God on these wild adventures, and while I don't always go with the right attitude, I am always so glad that I went!  We have been reminded time and again, this isn't about us, it is all about HIM, and what HE is doing, we are just blessed to be a part of it!  Something AMAZING happened this week, something only God could orchestrate.

A fellow blogger has a name for God that I just love.

They call Him: the Miracle-Working, Mountain-Moving, Awe-Inspiring, Gasp-Giving God!! Yippee Jesus!!  


And I just have to say...That is what we are calling Him too!!!

When we started this adoption process we sat the kids down and told them there were several things we needed to pray for.  In fact, I blogged about it here.


Well, we have been praying for over a year now that God would provide the money for the adoption and an 8 passenger vehicle.  Jayden was specifically praying for money to just fall from the sky.  And truly, that has been happening.  {OK, so it's not from the sky, but you get the picture!}  


We have received several grants from organizations, gifts from loved ones and complete strangers, and of course money from our fundraisers.  God is providing the money we need for this adoption, and we are so incredibly grateful!  We just shake our heads and praise the Lord every time a need is met!


This weekend, we got an 8 passenger vehicle.  It is exciting and wonderful to know that we will all be able to ride in the same vehicle together once we get little Lucy home.  But, what is even more amazing is that the vehicle was GIVEN to us.  GIVEN.  Now, we were praying for a vehicle, and I imagined that God would provide a vehicle, perhaps someone would donate an old church van, I even settled in my mind that we could paint it black and that I was going to be happy with whatever he provided.... 

BUT GOD.


God provided us with an AMAZING vehicle.  Like, if I were able to pick any vehicle in the whole wide world, I would pick THIS vehicle. {In all honesty, when I first saw THIS vehicle a few years back I thought..."man, I would really love to have one of those!"}  Only God.  Only my Miracle-Working, Mountain-Moving, Awe-Inspiring, Gasp-Giving God!! Yippee Jesus!!  God would do this.

MISSION 1:27 donated this vehicle to our family.  God moved on our behalf and used this wonderful organization to graciously deliver a miracle to our family!  They knew of our need, and God laid it on their hearts to respond to that need.  I can't say Thank you enough to them for their faithfulness to God!  There are no words that could convey how elated we are with this gift.  Saturday I just shook my head and kept saying "I can't believe this."  I think I was in shock.  Sunday the tears came, "so undeserving."  And today, well, every time I walk past the door and see this vehicle outside I think someone is here!!!  Then I say a prayer of thanks, offer my praise and ask a blessing on Mission 1:27.


It was so much fun for the kids to see how BIG our God is.  They were just as giddy as Ryan and I to know that God answered our prayers in such an amazing way.  They were with when Ryan picked it up and they kept saying that they felt like they were stealing it!  The God of the universe who made all things cares enough about us to listen to our prayers and then go on to answer in a BIG, AMAZING, EXTRAVAGANT way. God is Jehovah Jireh, our provider.  The one who takes care of every single need that we have.  We are so thankful for the way he takes care of our family.  And that he used our friends from Mission 1:27 is even more special.  We now get to sit back and watch how God will bless them for blessing us!  How awesome is that? 

^{2 Corinthians 9:8-11}God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

   He throws caution to the winds,
      giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
   His right-living, right-giving ways
      never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. (The Message)