A Thousand Gifts

This winter, I'm finally reading Ann Voskamp's book, A Thousand Gifts.  I avoided it because it's popular.  I don't like cliche Christianity.  But this.book.is.different.  This book takes IT on.  The hard stuff.  The "Why is there so much pain in the world" question.  The "I believe in God so why doesn't my life feel very victorious" question.  The "Where are you in my life, God" question.  The questions my friends ask.  The questions I ask.  But not in a "heady", "academic" kind of way.  In a way your can wrap your heart around and stay awhile.  I'm telling you, by the time you read the first few chapters, you want to drive yourself up to northern Canada, knock on the farmhouse door and invite yourself in to hug her.

I can't decide which I like better...the book or her blog, www.aholyexperience.com.  I'm thinking it's the blog only because she has the most amazing pictures that enhance her poetic thought.

At first glance, the book looks like any other Christian book...journal the ways you see grace and beauty in your life.  Nice, but Oprah-like, right?  Yeah, not my thing. 

BUT, Voskamp's got the chops to talk theology.  She writes from a place of knowing the Word and I crave the discipline she possesses to have such an ability to weave Scripture into experience, explaining how the sacred intersects with every day...or rather, how every day is sacred.

My sister and I are taking her 2013 challenge to memorize chapters from Romans.  (Not so easy with five children asking, "Whatcha' doin' mom?" every five minutes.  :-) )  I am digging how it's forcing me to get into the Word throughout the day, short bits of time woven into the routine of living.  It's perpetually reminding me what life is about.  And in that grounding, I'm finding a heart-soothing I relish. 

Now that I've written this, someone better read these.  I'm serious.  Is it you?

Only God

This gorgeous baby?



Will soon belong in the family of one of my lifelong dearest friends, Amy.  We went to college together, sang in a worship band together, roomed together.  She even wore an awful flowered bridesmaid dress for me.  No one should be allowed to have patterned fabric at a wedding.  Ever.

Back to the baby.

This lovie will soon be named Grace.  Grace lives in Beijing where she received life-saving surgery because thousands of people poured out compassion.  But let me back up...

Several years ago, a faith-filled mama named Stefanie was set to welcome home her own precious daughter from China, sweet Esther Adaline.  To fundraise for the adoption, Stefanie designed t-shirts to sell that said "So Loved" on the front and the words of John 3:16 on the back.

Sadly, Esther died in China before she could get life-saving surgery.  In her honor, Stefanie and her husband gave the raised money to a special foster home who took in a baby from a local orphanage with the same heart condition as Esther and got her the surgery she so desperately needed.

Amy fell in love with that sweet baby.  As in, saved her pictures, prayed for her, dreamed of her.  She asked if she could adopt her.  "I'm sorry, this baby is not available to adopt at this time.  It doesn't work that way.  You have to be randomly matched with a child."

But Amy felt such a connection to her that didn't fade over the months she waited for a different referral.  Six months passed.  Unexpectedly early one morning, Amy received a call from her adoption agency.

"Amy?  Last night we received the file of a little girl.  For some reason, I felt led to ask if you and your husband might consider looking at her file."

The baby?  Sweet little Grace.  THE SAME little girl Amy fell in love with half a year earlier.  With about 2,700 children matched per year from China these days those are pretty crazy odds.

Those SO LOVED t-shirts found their way to CT years ago.  One was worn by a little one in our church adopted domestically.  It was then passed to Mia.  I found a picture.  It's insane to realize that our precious daughter wears the shirt purchased by someone we love that JUST HAPPENED to pay for the surgery desperately needed for the child who JUST SO HAPPENED to be matched with one of my closest friends and her family. 

Only God.  Weaving a story to beautiful to make up.