I've told you already about the check to cover our entire homestudy, given by a precious couple that we consider part of our family. I've told you about the money donated from an old friend, a check in a card praying blessings over our future child; I've told you about the "giving jar" full of money from my Thursday night Wives Club. I've told you about my friends who are planning a jewelry sale in early fall, and all the proceeds will go towards our adoption.
But I haven't told you about the most recent gifts. Warning: These stories will blow your mind, and they might make you cry. Go grab a box of Kleenex.
On July 14, after a birthday dinner for one of my girlfriends, Matt and I went to another friend's house for a party. Matt was in school that night, so we drove separately. During the party, Matt's phone kept ringing and the caller ID said "Blocked." He refused to answer since we were with friends, and figured it was a telemarketer. An hour or so later we left and as I got into my car, I heard my phone ringing. I picked it up and noticed that the caller ID said "Blocked" and figured that whoever "Blocked" was, there seemed to be desperate to get in touch with either Matt or myself. I answered the call and heard, in an automated message voice (you know, one of those robot sounding women), "Check your mailbox, God loves you. Check your mailbox, God loves you. Check your mailbox, God loves you." over and over. I hung up and then looked at my phone again and realized I also had a voicemail from, "Blocked". I listened to it and it was the same automated message "Check your mailbox, God loves you." over and over again.
I am going to be 100% honest here - it was dark and late and the combo of that, plus the fact that I am normally a more paranoid person than I probably should be, I got really, really freaked out. I called Matt, who had left the party a few minutes after me, and asked if he had a voicemail from "Blocked" as well. He did and told me it was saying the same message as what I received. I told him that there was no way I was going to go home unless he was with me. He said he was about 5 minutes behind, so when I pulled onto our street, I drove into the parking lot in the safety of the stadium lights of the football field that is across from our home. A few minutes later Matt pulled into our driveway and called me laughing in disbelief. He had checked our mailbox, and there was an envelope addressed to "Adoption / Baby M" with $500 cash in it! The envelope wasn't sealed, and there was no note, no signature, nothing. I pulled out of the parking lot and drove across the street, almost forgetting to put my car in park and turn in off before I jumped out. I was in total, utter shock. We went into the house laughing and crying (well I was crying) and asking out loud over and over, "Who would leave $500 cash in our mailbox?!?!"*
A few minutes later, Matt's phone rings again, and it's "Blocked"! I answer it and the automated voicemail starts again and in my excitement I yell, "We DID check our mailbox! Who is this? Please tell me who you are, I want to thank you." and the line just went dead. That was the last phone call from blocked we received that night. We spent a few minutes trying to figure out who did this radical act of generosity - we figured it was one of our very good friends as they knew both our telephone numbers and where we lived, but here it is, almost three weeks later and we're still not sure who blessed us! Amazing! If our angel(s) are reading this blog, know that you changed me and changed my heart in a way that I cannot explain fully in words. You know how hard it has been for me to accept financial gifts from our friends and family for our child, that it has been a daily swallowing of pride, but this act, this precious, shocking blessing you left in our mailbox felt like it swallowed up almost every last ounce of it. You changed me and I will be forever grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
And if that wasn't enough, last weekend another precious couple who we consider some of our best friends, handed me a card with $200 in it. This couple has been through the ringer with us as we struggled over the past few years with infertility and waiting on God for an answer. They know us so well, and know our hearts for this child. As I read the card (I was driving with her to a baby shower, mind you) I was so overcome with gratitude that I had to pull the car over and just hug her neck. Ugh, I love these two people so much. Their hearts are so precious and full of everything good. I can't wait for my baby to be loved on by them and their darling son. Friends, you are too good to us. You remind me what it's like to live in faith, and not by sight. I love you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Last, and I can't believe it either, we received ANOTHER anonymous donation this week! One of my girlfriends from church hosted a big group dinner this past Wednesday. Side bar: She is a one-woman chef extraordinaire. She made Thai food and it was better than any of the Thai places in town and better than the two Thai places I went to in NYC. As all my friends were hanging out in the kitchen, drinking wine, catching up, playing with all the kids running around (and Ms. Chef was slaving away over the stove), one of my girlfriends tells me there is a card in the living room that is for me. I pick up the card and open it to find $160 cash inside. The card is blank, both inside and out. I look at said girlfriend in shock and ask, "Who is this from!?! Is this from you?!?" and she smiles coyly and says, "They wish to remain anonymous." I start laughing / freaking out and tearing up at the same time saying "Are you kidding me? Are you freaking kidding me?!?!" and everyone is just smiling and looking at me like I'm crazy. I excuse myself to the living room and tell them I need to go freak out for a second and do a little happy dance. As I jump up and down in the living room like a nutso and laugh and tears are just pouring down my face, I can hear my friends in the kitchen laughing too. Anonymous if you are reading this, know I did a silly little booty dance this past Wednesday just because of you, that I cried tears of shock and joy; that said a prayer for you, asking God to bless you 7 fold of what you blessed us. You know who you are Anonymous and you changed our hearts with your generosity. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Is this what community is like? When there is a need and it is met, not by our own doing, but by God nudging each of us to step up and give what we have? I've asked for something like this for so long - this sense of family with my friends, this sense of protection, and edification and encouragement, and accountability and this level of peaceful comfort I feel whenever I see these faces and hear their voices. God you are too good to us. I cannot wait for this community, this family of mine to hold my child. Baby M you are already so blessed.
On July 14, after a birthday dinner for one of my girlfriends, Matt and I went to another friend's house for a party. Matt was in school that night, so we drove separately. During the party, Matt's phone kept ringing and the caller ID said "Blocked." He refused to answer since we were with friends, and figured it was a telemarketer. An hour or so later we left and as I got into my car, I heard my phone ringing. I picked it up and noticed that the caller ID said "Blocked" and figured that whoever "Blocked" was, there seemed to be desperate to get in touch with either Matt or myself. I answered the call and heard, in an automated message voice (you know, one of those robot sounding women), "Check your mailbox, God loves you. Check your mailbox, God loves you. Check your mailbox, God loves you." over and over. I hung up and then looked at my phone again and realized I also had a voicemail from, "Blocked". I listened to it and it was the same automated message "Check your mailbox, God loves you." over and over again.
I am going to be 100% honest here - it was dark and late and the combo of that, plus the fact that I am normally a more paranoid person than I probably should be, I got really, really freaked out. I called Matt, who had left the party a few minutes after me, and asked if he had a voicemail from "Blocked" as well. He did and told me it was saying the same message as what I received. I told him that there was no way I was going to go home unless he was with me. He said he was about 5 minutes behind, so when I pulled onto our street, I drove into the parking lot in the safety of the stadium lights of the football field that is across from our home. A few minutes later Matt pulled into our driveway and called me laughing in disbelief. He had checked our mailbox, and there was an envelope addressed to "Adoption / Baby M" with $500 cash in it! The envelope wasn't sealed, and there was no note, no signature, nothing. I pulled out of the parking lot and drove across the street, almost forgetting to put my car in park and turn in off before I jumped out. I was in total, utter shock. We went into the house laughing and crying (well I was crying) and asking out loud over and over, "Who would leave $500 cash in our mailbox?!?!"*
A few minutes later, Matt's phone rings again, and it's "Blocked"! I answer it and the automated voicemail starts again and in my excitement I yell, "We DID check our mailbox! Who is this? Please tell me who you are, I want to thank you." and the line just went dead. That was the last phone call from blocked we received that night. We spent a few minutes trying to figure out who did this radical act of generosity - we figured it was one of our very good friends as they knew both our telephone numbers and where we lived, but here it is, almost three weeks later and we're still not sure who blessed us! Amazing! If our angel(s) are reading this blog, know that you changed me and changed my heart in a way that I cannot explain fully in words. You know how hard it has been for me to accept financial gifts from our friends and family for our child, that it has been a daily swallowing of pride, but this act, this precious, shocking blessing you left in our mailbox felt like it swallowed up almost every last ounce of it. You changed me and I will be forever grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
And if that wasn't enough, last weekend another precious couple who we consider some of our best friends, handed me a card with $200 in it. This couple has been through the ringer with us as we struggled over the past few years with infertility and waiting on God for an answer. They know us so well, and know our hearts for this child. As I read the card (I was driving with her to a baby shower, mind you) I was so overcome with gratitude that I had to pull the car over and just hug her neck. Ugh, I love these two people so much. Their hearts are so precious and full of everything good. I can't wait for my baby to be loved on by them and their darling son. Friends, you are too good to us. You remind me what it's like to live in faith, and not by sight. I love you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Last, and I can't believe it either, we received ANOTHER anonymous donation this week! One of my girlfriends from church hosted a big group dinner this past Wednesday. Side bar: She is a one-woman chef extraordinaire. She made Thai food and it was better than any of the Thai places in town and better than the two Thai places I went to in NYC. As all my friends were hanging out in the kitchen, drinking wine, catching up, playing with all the kids running around (and Ms. Chef was slaving away over the stove), one of my girlfriends tells me there is a card in the living room that is for me. I pick up the card and open it to find $160 cash inside. The card is blank, both inside and out. I look at said girlfriend in shock and ask, "Who is this from!?! Is this from you?!?" and she smiles coyly and says, "They wish to remain anonymous." I start laughing / freaking out and tearing up at the same time saying "Are you kidding me? Are you freaking kidding me?!?!" and everyone is just smiling and looking at me like I'm crazy. I excuse myself to the living room and tell them I need to go freak out for a second and do a little happy dance. As I jump up and down in the living room like a nutso and laugh and tears are just pouring down my face, I can hear my friends in the kitchen laughing too. Anonymous if you are reading this, know I did a silly little booty dance this past Wednesday just because of you, that I cried tears of shock and joy; that said a prayer for you, asking God to bless you 7 fold of what you blessed us. You know who you are Anonymous and you changed our hearts with your generosity. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Is this what community is like? When there is a need and it is met, not by our own doing, but by God nudging each of us to step up and give what we have? I've asked for something like this for so long - this sense of family with my friends, this sense of protection, and edification and encouragement, and accountability and this level of peaceful comfort I feel whenever I see these faces and hear their voices. God you are too good to us. I cannot wait for this community, this family of mine to hold my child. Baby M you are already so blessed.
*We live in a (as the real estate community would call it) transitional neighborhood. It's safe, as in I don't fear for my life or my personal safety, but our home was broken into twice the first year we lived here. I would NEVER leave money in someone's mailbox in my neighborhood! What a leap of faith these wonderful, generous people had!
it's so humbling to receive. and so beautiful. more and more, Lord!
ReplyDeleteI have tears in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteI can barely see through the tears to type! It is so awesome to see you guys being blessed in this way. I was definitely frustrated with God, watching you struggle over the last 3 years, but you guys were so faithful and He is humbling us all now by making Himself so apparent in this way! He really does answer prayers, in His own time, tenfold what we ask! I love you!
ReplyDelete