“Coincidence is God’s way of being anonymous.”

“Coincidence is God’s way of being anonymous.”

A beautiful woman in my life once told me that if my conscience is telling me to do something, then it is God’s way of saying to “go ahead, try it!”  I will never forget the first time I saw this spunky, brown skinned, smiley faced girl in church in Ellis.  Journey’s name says it all…she is the reason that my heart was filled with a yearning to have children, and later on our trek, to adoption.  Journey was not my easiest student, by far.  But she had this spirit and this fire, a fire that I loved…and a heart of gold. 

 Jake and I had come to the back to school mass and BBQ…and also “meet the teacher” night.  It was my first time to meet all my new students and parents, and I was as nervous as all get out.  To make a long story short, I met some of the kindest parents (including the woman I spoke about above and will tell you about below) and their equally big-hearted children, learned life lessons, and set out on my path to truly wanting to make a difference.  I will always be grateful for those times and faces.  They shaped me just as much and more than my childhood memories. 

I want to inspire people, I want people to look at me and say, “because of you, I didn’t give up”. 

There was someone who did that for me.  Mindy (Journey’s mom) will never know just how dear to my heart she is.  She invited me into their home and into their life without any hesitation.  Coming to their house, I was one of them…she told the tales of how her children came into their life through both adoption and biological means and I’ll never forget how much emotion it brought out when she told me their “story”.  We laughed, cried, we grew.  There are few people who have a heart like Mindy. 

When we found out about Liberty, Mindy was one of the first people that came to my mind.  She would understand all of my joy, trepidation, excitement, and terror all in one.  Her words of how none of our children are truly “ours,” they are gifted to us from our heavenly father to teach, cherish, and love here on Earth, brought me such peace.

Today, it brought tears to my eyes to see my girls happily playing along with Mindy’s kids.  Journey is all grown up now and going into 6th grade...from what I hear, she still has the heart of a lion, but the patience she showed with Liberty...warmed my heart. The circle of life is so precious.  How and when our children are given to us makes no difference.  Cherish your gifts…and hold them close. 

“Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there”.  ---Spurgeon