Doxology

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11

The Greek word Doxology is a brief formula for expressing praise or glory to God. The New Testament uses the Greek word Doxa to express glory and limits the meaning to God’s glory. As I share our story of adoption, our prayer is that it brings glory to God alone. He is everything and to Him we give our praise.

When our youngest son was just nine weeks old, we made the decision to have a vasectomy. We came to this conclusion without much prayer or thought. We just agreed with most Americans that we would have our boy and girl. You know the perfect American family. Little did we know that our God had other plans for us.

About one year ago the Lord began to deal with us about our disobedience and convicting us of our sin. It was sin to make such a huge decision without discussing it with the Lord first. We thought the answer was a vasectomy reversal, but once again our Father had other things on His mind. No one can know the mind of God. I had convinced Jeremy to have the procedure and he was seen by his physician. I was taking a shower one night and the Lord spoke to me and said, "Do not be like Sarah and give Jeremy Hagar." I knew immediately what He meant. He had a better plan. So I ran into the living room and told Jeremy that I didn’t think it was the Lord’s will that we proceeded with the reversal. He started crying and said he knew all along, but he was going to do it for me. That was when we saw the plans the Lord had for us. The plan was to care for one of His that was already here in this world.

I started researching agencies’ and prayed very intensely that the Lord would direct our path. We wanted to be exactly where He wanted us to be. I searched for several months and had looked at the Heaven Sent Children’s website, but passed it up. A few weeks passed and I looked up Heaven Sent Children on Facebook. My eyes were drawn to a blond girl holding an Asian baby. I sent her a message asking if she had adopted through Heaven Sent Children. I thought to myself, "she will never respond to a complete stranger," but she did. She sent a very short message at first explaining how wonderful Heaven Sent Children was and that she had a great experience. I read her message and then laid down to take a nap. During my nap I dreamed that her husband was adopted. (I have never met these people before and had not seen her husband at this time.) I checked my message’s and she had sent me a very long message giving me details about her adoption including that her husband was adopted from Korea. I knew then we needed to schedule an appointment with Heaven Sent Children.

Our appointment was set up with Amanda on February 22, 2011. When we arrived at Heaven Sent Amanda had a meeting and she let us know we would be meeting with Stephanie. The Lord had that planned as we would later find out. We have been praying through every step of this process and the Lord has directed every step. I had determined that He would receive glory from the very beginning so when Stephanie asked why we wanted to adopt and how we found the agency I shared our testimony. She then proceeded to share her testimony and I knew immediately we were in the right place at the right time. Stephanie started talking with us about domestic adoption first and asked if we had any questions. We didn’t so she started explaining the process from some other countries when I stopped her and ask her to tell us about Korea. As soon as she started speaking, it was like the pregnancy test was positive, we knew instantly our baby was in Korea. Stephanie informed us that she does most of the Korean adoptions and Amanda does most of the domestic adoptions. It was God’s plan for us to see Stephanie that day. Stephanie named our son before we left her office, she named him Eli. Jeremy and I got into the car and without hesitation said this is our agency.

Everything since then has been a blur. I had told Stephanie I believed that this process would go quickly and wow has it ever. I have found out that when the Lord has ordained something He will make it possible. There was however one day when my faith was tested. We received a letter from AIAA stating that we were last on a very long list because we already had two children and that we would be waiting 4-6 months for our formal application. I cried and cried. Then the Lord reminded me that what is impossible with men is possible with Him. So my faith increased once again. On April 5, 2011, we received an email from AIAA that our formal was on it’s way! I talked to Stephanie and she informed me she almost fell out of her chair when she read the email. I reminded her that we serve a BIG God!!!

I woke up on April 18, 2011 and told Jeremy that something great was going to happen that day. I just knew in my spirit. He said, "The only thing it could be is our home study. They are probably going to send it today." I opened my email about one hour later and there they were the most amazing words I have ever seen, "Are you ready yet?" They had a baby for us to look at! My heart soared!!! I waited until Jeremy got home and we looked at the baby’s picture together. We both didn’t feel like he was Eli. I was so disappointed so I called Stephanie and asked her how we were suppose to feel. I had imagined in my mind that we would just know when we saw him that he was ours. Stephanie gave me her expert opinion then Jeremy went back to work. I sat on the back porch and once again the Lord spoke to me. He brought a scripture to my remembrance from Isaiah chapter 53:2. He had no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. The very God of the universe came in a body that was nothing special to behold. So how could we make a decision about an orphaned child based on our feelings after looking at an external picture. So I wept and wept then I repented. Our decisions are impacting eternity! So when Jeremy got home I shared what the Lord had spoke to me and he wept and wept then he repented. I immediately emailed Stephanie and told her that the baby was ours!!! When the Lord created Eli in his mother’s womb he had already planned this for his life. His days were written in God’s book. And oh the thought’s the Lord has toward him. He has Big plans for that sweet little Korean boy!

On April 20, 2011, we went to church as we usually do. I was sharing with the other teacher’s in Cubbies that I run to the mailbox every day expecting to find a big check. I don’t know where or whom it will come from, but it will come. I have said since day one that we have no worries about the cost because our Father owns it all. If He can rain manna down from heaven, he can provide for us. That night someone from church that is related to us asked Jeremy to see his Bible. He then gave it back barely zipped. Jeremy found me and showed me a big stack of money. We got home and counted it, $8,500!!!! Yes, He provides!!! I have never experienced the emotions I felt that night. We were both laughing and crying at the same time. Our little girls’ faith was increased that night too! She witnessed first hand how our Lord Jehovah-Jireh provides!

The meaning of the name Eli is "the Lord is exalted." Eli’s Korean name is Jaehyun which has two meanings Jae means "respect and exists," and Hyun means "show and wise." Through this little Korean boy with sweet lips, sad eyes, and a button nose the Lord of all creation is being exalted! My prayer for anyone that reads this is that you will come to know the love of Christ. That you will understand that if you are His you are adopted. He tells us in His word that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1: 4-6

Doxa to the Lord of heaven and earth!!!!