passed over

I don't quite know why I am doing this project... posting about each of the additional kids in this region. Oh, there is one I've blogged about before because he caught my interest. And a lot of them are cute. But for some reason I didn't just post a few of the cutest, or the ones that caught my attention. For some reason--and I do think it was God's leading--I decided each of these children deserved their own post. And they do. More than that, they each deserve their own families.

Even a little girl I might pass over if I hadn't decided to do this. Even a little girl whose haircut looks like a boy's and whose clothes don't match.


Anna is just two years old. I don't know how much stimulation or attention she gets, but she's certainly sitting independently here, which is a great sign. She didn't grab me, and my thoughts about her were more along the lines of "That's a girl?" than "What a gorgeous child!"

But God doesn't see what man sees. God looks at the heart.
If Anna were my daughter, I would love her. And she is God's daughter. And she deserves a mommy. And she is pretty--if you don't let the hair and the crazy cloths throw you.

So today, don't pass over Anna. There's not much we can do for additional children. We can't donate. We can't share information other than a picture. But there is one thing we can always do. Let's pray for her together.

Dear God, we pray knowing that You love Anna and knew about her when You laid the foundations of the earth. You had a plan for her life. You planned for her to be born. You planned for her mommy to love her... but where she was born, even if her mother wanted to bring her home, the odds were stacked against it.

But You knew that people who call themselves Yours would be everywhere in the world--in Anna's country and in mine. You knew that You would give out more than enough love and money for another family to step in and do what Anna's birth family could not or would not--show this little girl Your love and all the best life has to offer. You planned another family for Anna.

God, I don't know if her family has felt Your call or not. I don't know if they even know You yet. I don't know if they are held back waiting for Your perfect timing, or held back by their own concerns when You are urging them to go to Eastern Europe and adopt a daughter with Down Syndrome.

I know Anna is precious in Your sight and You have a great plan for her. Please bless Anna, her family, and each person You have placed in her life or intend to. Bless those who will donate to her adoption, and bless those who pray for her, and bless those who would bring her home but can't. But most of all, bless Anna's family with her, their daughter. Make it clear what a blessing she will be, how much joy and love she will bring. And bring her home.

In the name of Your Son Jesus, who paid the price for our adoption. Amen.