Out of the Box, into the Amazing

Well followers (that sounds pretentious), sorry there has not been an update recently. Life gets crazy, you know??  If this is the first post of mine you have read you will need some background.  Read my story about Abenezer HERE.

Where to begin??  December.  First, on December 14th I wrote THIS post (it's short, if you read it this will all make more sense...trust me).  I was saying I trusted God to provide the $3400 I needed to get Abenezer a visa and airline ticket.  I knew that it couldn't happen with out His help.  Needless to say, God did some crazy amazing things right around Christmas.  You see, I had begun working as a Field Rep a couple months before.  I was hoping to help connect some families with an agency, and was honored to work with International Family Services again.  I worked for them as a receptionist waaaaayyyy back in 1996 when I was pregnant with Alexis.  Great people.

So, I got an email from Carol Mardock (aka Executive Director of IFS) telling me that they had these infants available in Ethiopia and no waiting families at this time.  Well, thanks to God, Kari Gibson and Facebook, we placed 5 infants in a month.  As a field rep, I am paid per family as I unite them with the agency.  Between t-shirt sales, donations and that one month miracle, I had more than the $3400 I was hoping to get.

Plan B:  You know that verse where it says God is willing and able to to more than we can think or imagine (yup, that's a good one).  Well, it's true.  At the beginning of January, God challenged me to stop putting him in a box.  That, when it is His will, there are no limits.  So, I started to get ridiculous (in my feeble teeny tiny mind).  I thought "Oh, yeah, lets see how big I can dream".  Here was my "big" dream.  Now that I had the money to get Abenezer here, I wanted to be able to go get him myself.  My being at the visa appointment would increase the chances of his getting a visa by 567% (totally made that number up).  It is what I had secretly hoped for from the beginning, but never dared to think it  could happen.  Then, I dreamed even BIGGER.  I dreamed I could take my daughter Megin with me.  We adopted Megin nine years ago from Ethiopia. I have always wanted to take her back with me and give her a reunion with her grandmother.  I also wanted to give her the opportunity to serve in her home country.  Of course, it seemed like a far-reaching dream.  Yeah, have you met my God?  He loves those dreams.

Cut to February.  I find myself getting tons of emails and fb messages about adoption.  I also get a call from IFS that they need a new Ethiopia Program Director, and would I be interested.  WHAT?!?  Of COURSE I am interested.  I only live and breathe God, orphans and Ethiopia.  It's only my PASSION...YES PLEASE!

So, now here I am, a mere 3 months to the DAY that I posted that I wanted to get Abenezer home, but I wanted God to get the glory.  I wanted it to happen in such a way that I would get no credit.  I am blown away by God's blessings to me.  I don't even have the words to express it.

Today, someone sent $500 to my Paypal account.  Out. Of. The. Blue.  Yesterday, a friend told me they were sending $350.  God is Rocking My World.  The $3400 I needed for Abenezer has grown to $7500 so Megin and I can go to Ethiopia (an astronomical amount in the world of Randi's checkbook).  As of today we only have $1574 left to raise.  And you know what?  I'm not even worried about it.  Nope, not a bit.  And you know what else? I am going to TRY to stop limiting what I do by what my checkbook tells me.  God is bigger than my checkbook (shouldn't I have known that by now??).  God is bigger than my "big" dreams.  And the more I come to know Him, the more I see His character, the more I understand that this is SO not about me...well the more in Awe of Him I am.  I am willing to stop freaking out - and just do His will.  I am going to listen and GO, because this adventure I am on is incredible.  

Thank you to those who have prayed for this dream.  Thank you, thank you to those who have listened and donated.  Your faithfulness astounds me.

This is so much bigger than I know.  God is doing amazing things, which makes me think this is about more than bringing my son home from Ethiopia.  This is a catalyst of something huge for God's kingdom. I don't know what that is, but I am thrilled to play a part.  I am willing.  Send Me.