My Plan For Our Lives...

I am going to jump back two years in our lives. I had everything planned out for how our family would look and how our lives would play out. We were going to adopt a young (4-8 years old) sibling group of boys from the foster care system who were a racial minority because these children were the hardest to get placed in an adoptive family. We didn’t even want to adopt an infant. We did our training and waited. I bought books about raising sons, Bibles for little boys, and a few other things that were specifically for having boys. Was my “plan” selfish? No. Wasn’t it our desire to make a small difference in the problem of so many children without families to love them? Yes. So why wouldn’t God honor this request and bless us with the family that we desired? It was because HIS PLAN was so much better.

In January, 5 months after we began our wait for a family, we were told about Project Cuddle. The stories they shared of baby abandonment were devastating. It was very emotional (and still is) to think of a child suffocating in a garbage bag. We decided that we would sign up to be a “rescue family” and I noted (according to my plan) that we would be willing to rescue a boy of a racial minority. A couple weeks passed and I felt like God said “How could you limit the type of child you could save and the type of child you could love?” The fact was that I couldn’t…. I re-sent in our information and noted that we would be willing to rescue a child of any race, any gender, and any unknowns that they may have. A month later they contacted us with a child (not in my plans) – we said yes and she has radically changed our lives.

I look at my daughter… I hear her laugh, I feel her hugs, see that gorgeous smile and think of what I would have missed out on had I stuck to what I thought was right for us. It breaks me emotionally that I almost missed out on her life and the joy she brings. She has my heart – she is soooo incredible.

Another “plan” of mine was to not have a child biologically for a few years and until we had adopted a few more children. God had a better plan and here I am entering my 30th week of pregnancy expecting a baby ! She will be perfect – the perfect piece to this perfect family designed and put together by God.

It’s funny how I thought that I knew what our perfect family would look like. I am sure God smiles, knowing how his perfect plan is so much better for our lives. Who knows, we may end up with 4 s – I don’t know how I could ever have had a preference before now. How could I tell a woman that I would love her baby any less because it was one gender or the other? Maybe there won’t be any more children and His plan for our lives only includes these two princesses.

I am glad that I have a Father who knows us better than we know ourselves. I am glad that I have a Father who has a perfect plan for my life. I am glad that my plans don’t work out and that He has had every detail in place since before I was born. I am glad my Father knows what is best and amazes me with his blessings.

I, of course, still have plans – we want to adopt a couple more kids through Project Cuddle. I have no idea if my plans line up with his for our future – but I’ll take His plans over mine.

I don’t know what His plans hold – but I know he has them for our family.

I couldn’t be more thankful for my husband and two daughters – and I wouldn’t trade them for anything or anyone.




Isn't her smile amazing? And I get to be her mommy ;-)