Double blessing...

On this date fifteen years ago, we were anticipating the New Year, not having a clue how much our lives were getting ready for a huge change over the next few days. Our home was completely decorated, down to the kitchen rugs, for Christmas. Each room had it's own themed Christmas tree, 8 in all. It wasn't time to face taking everything 'down' yet...so we were enjoying the holiday season, and completely enjoying the atmosphere for a few more days.

Back then, the days immediately following Christmas were for nesting, de-cluttering, setting goals for the year, reviewing our household budget and getting tax information in order before officially heading back to work and school after the holidays.

Our girls, now 11 and 9,could do things for themselves--they were definitely out of the constant care phase of their lives. Which is why the events of the next few days would be especially fun, an shocking at the same time.

By the 8th of January that year, 1996, I had a few decorations put away, but there had been a lot of snow, the girls had been home, and I was just hanging out with them.
The 8th day of January, 1996 changed our lives forever! The girls and I were organizing things in our family room in our basement, when the phone rang. We had gone through pre-adoption classes a year before. We had planned to adopt a three year old potty-trained child, who ever this child was, we didn't know! But, we knew that God did, and He was planning and orchestrating exactly the child that would become ours!

So, imagine my surprise when I answered the phone to hear the news that available to our family were newborn twin baby girls. They had been born two days previous, and I would be able to pick them up at the hospital on the 1oth. I was amazed.

First of all, newborns are rare for adoption. Second of all, they were girls, a perfect fit for the older girls who were quickly outgrowing the doll baby stage. My husband and I prayed and were completely at peace with saying absolutely YES!!! We would be happy to step through this door of opportunity.

And so, that year, the 9th of January was spent packing up 8 Christmas trees and tons of decorations. The 10th was spent driving to get these two precious baby girls, that have grown in to beautiful young girls! We were so blessed back then, and feel doubly blessed today!

Only in God's economy can I explain how we could have been praying for a 3-year old potty trained child that would be a right fit for our family, and received TWO beautiful, perfectly healthy, baby girls instead. It doesn't mean we had to have specifically the three year old...it does mean that "If you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart."--Psalm 37 tells us.

Yes, Lord, the desire of our hearts was for You to be honored and glorified in our lives...our prayer continues to be for your blessing on our family, but make us a blessing to others.