OK, confession about Jacob: He was the little one we first inquired about. We weren't really thinking that we were ready to adopt since we had just had Louis, but Jacob jumped out at me. I don't know if it was because he reminded me of my newborn son, or if it was simply a matter of God tugging at my heart strings. Either way Jacob is the one who started The Schmitt family on the journey to adopt Lance.
After our first e-mail to Reece's Rainbow, we realized that Jacob's country was not a good fit for our family and I was going to drop it and wait for the "right timing" ('you want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans.'), but the lady I had e-mailed at RR suggested a few areas that would be a better fit for our family and then pointed out Lance who was a little boy about the same age as Jacob and also had a CP diagnosis.
BE STILL MY HEART! I was in love and knew that Lance was our baby. Of course, how could I have not noticed or jumped to scoop him up? I had seen him before, but assumed that as adorable as he was that he probably already had a committed family.
Here is a fun thing I have learned since committing to Lance:
I have spoken to several people who had inquired about Lance and had considered or were considering him, but he was not for them - HE WAS MEANT FOR US! This continues to give me so much hope and confidence in God's plan for our family and for Lance (who will soon be a part of that family!) It also helps when I fall in love with a special child on Reece's Rainbow who I know I can not bring home. It gives me hope because I know that just like God had a plan for Lance to be our son He also has plans for each of these children and He proves that over and over to me. He showed me that once again today as Jacob moved from the "Waiting Children" list to the "My Family Found Me" list. I am so happy for him and for his family. I Thank God for showing us Jacob and through that little boy leading us to our Next Little Light of Mine. I Thank God for bringing Jacob's famiily to him today!
So, what else can I possibly do, but share another little one who needs you to be praying for her? Lina was another sweet baby who I cared for instantly...who knows why God places some children on some people's hearts and not others, but here is the first picture I ever saw of Lina:
She's beautiful right!
Maybe it was those stunning eyes, or that little button nose? I don't know, but again I looked at her and thought about statistics:
Girls are more likely than boys to be adopted
The younger the child the more likely they are to be adopted
Children considered beautiful by our world's standards are more likely to be chosen for adoption
and then I thought: She will be adopted right away! and I had comfort at this thought. Until I saw an updated picture:
and a note that read that she had regressed significantly since being transferred from the hospital where she was starting to eat from a spoon to being so malnourished that she could not even move.
OH! Please Lord! How could this even be the same little girl? If it weren't for those big eyes and button nose, I wouldn't believe this was the same little princess. SURELY, now she will be found, someone will see that dainty little chin and wispy blonde hair and rush to her aid.
Then came news that adopting her may no longer be aIllowed...a death sentence to this angel. What can I do? If she can't be adopted then I should focus on advocating for children that are available this moment.
And then...one more updated picture taken 4 months since her transfer
How can I let this go? My eyes have seen. How can I advocate for this little light when I am not even sure she can be adopted? As Mother Theresa's poem so eloquently reminds us "DO IT ANYWAY!" My ways are not God's ways. I don't understand His infinite wisdom and plans, so I WILL do it anyway. FIGHT FOR THIS LIFE WITH ME! Look at those hurt-filled eyes begging for someone to help her and then tell her you can't. That you wont. OOOORRRR...take just a minute at one red light today to ask for God's mercy on Lina and plead for the Angels to minister and comfort her when no-one else will.
Finally...so you don't have to scroll up to remember her before picture here it is side by side:
You can more about her diagnosis here:
http://reecesrainbow.org/41427/lina-3f
You can INQUIRE about her here:
http://reecesrainbow.org/contact-rr
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