Selah: A Link up

I haven't written about him in depth lately, but Elijah is always in my mind.  There is nothing we do without thinking about the fact that Elijah will be doing it with us soon.  

Today I am linking up with Linny who writes one of my favorite blogs, A Place Called Simplicity.  I initially noticed the blog, years ago, because Nicholas and Linny's daughter, Jubilee, had lived in the same home in China (I noticed her picture in a newsletter that the home sent out).  Since then, Linny has served as a long-distance mentor for me as I became a Christian, a homeschooler, and a mother to a "boatload of treasures" (as Linny might say!)

Anyway, today Linny has asked her readers to take a moment to stop amidst all the Christmas preparation craziness to rest (Selah) and to reflect on how God has faithfully provided in our lives.  It is the perfect opportunity for me to write (again) about the miracles that have taken place this year as we draw closer to our sweet Elijah. It is especially fitting as we are perhaps the most busy we have ever been with many kids, surgeries, multiple medical procedures, and homeschooling.

 Here is the whole story if you want all the details.

Here is Elijah with his best buddy while he lived at An Orphan's Wish

In 2009, I was so very blessed to come across this picture.

And fall in love with a little boy who I had never met.

And I was so very blessed to meet him in person in 2010.

And this 4-year-long, roller coaster ride of getting Elijah's paperwork done, finding an agency that would work with us, and loving Elijah from afar: totally worth it.

Because all of the crazy up's and down's, like Elijah's sudden transfer from his foster home, when we didn't know where he was for several weeks...

...and then his showing up at another foster home (of all the thousands of group foster homes in China!) where I had briefly volunteered;

and then our being told Elijah was not available for adoption, that he was matched with another family, and that we might as well use our dossier for another child;

Christopher's referral picture

and then we were blessed with our unexpected treasure, Christopher;

Our littlest love this fall

and then finally getting matched with Elijah out of the blue!  And being able to use our dossier again for him (we were so sure he was not Special Focus!) and get to him sooner (December 23rd, to be exact)

...all of this just reinforced the power for prayer, God's love for the orphan and, amazingly, his love for me too.  I truly did not believe that the God of the Universe would really care about the desires of my heart, but here I am, getting ready to meet the one I have prayed for for years!!

I stop, amidst all the crazy packing and travel preparation, all the wrapping of presents and preparing my family for my departure, and I praise the Lord for the incredible miracles of 2013.
I am in awe.