Today I was reflecting on a phone call I once had.
I’d completely forgotten about it.
The year was 1989.
I can even almost picture what I was
wearing that early spring day at our home
in Getzville, New York.
Back in the day house phones
were the way people called each other,
there was no caller ID and the cord
kept you close to the actual phone.
Answering the phone that
day I was unaware of who or what
the caller would say.
{Thank you Lord for caller-ID now, right?}
Just a few months before
we had been chosen by a birth mom
to raise her baby and we couldn’t have
been more excited.
This long-prayed for treasure’s crib was sitting
expectantly, next to the dresser which held the neatly
folded baby clothes. The diaper bag
standing guard beside it all.
Abi was five, Tyler just two
and my heart could hardly wait for this
little one’s birth for the joy
of knowing that we had broken
“society norm” by now adding to
our family number three.
Only thing is that the bio mom,
at the last second, decided to pick
the family she had said she wasn’t
going to pick.
She had changed her mind as she labored
literally days before Christmas.
I remember returning “our” baby’s
clothes to the store and through tears
explaining that the baby we had expected
was unexpectedly no longer coming.
It had been a difficult season and
being someone who is very private,
I grieved alone.
In public I wore my normal face,
but in private it was different.
And it was during those difficult days
that the phone rang.
When I heard her voice I thought,
“How odd, you never call me.”
She didn’t make chit-chat,
instead she started,
“We’ve all been talking….”
Isn’t it interesting that often “We’ve all” is spoken
to make it all sound so much more
incredibly credible.
Never would this person have said,
“I’ve been thinking…”
Her words needed to sound believable.
She wanted the words she was about to speak
to bear weight to my soul and she definitely
wanted to be sure that I obeyed her.
“We’ve all been talking
and we want you to know that you need
to give up the idea
of any more children. Move on with your
life. You have two. You definitely have enough.”
What struck me was that I had not nor would
I ever have confided anything in this person.
She didn’t know me. Not at all.
She had heard through the grapevine
that we had a loss through adoption.
I had never, ever told her anything.
Not one thought or feeling.
Yet she thought she knew what was best
for my life and our family
and she didn’t have a problem
telling me so.
How many times in life are we influenced
by someone else’s voice rather than
the already whispered voice of God?
God had many, many, many years
before planted in my heart
the dream of a large multi-cultural pile of
treasures lovingly gathered from around the
world.
So contrary to what she was telling me!
Oh how it hit me again today!
Suddenly, I remembered that long-forgotten
opinionated voice and before my eyes
flashed all that I would have missed
out on had I decided her words were
more important than the voice of the Lord.
And recalling I shudder to imagine what my life
would look like without
Autumn
Emma
Graham
Liberty
Jubilee
Nehemiah
Isaiah
Elizabeth
Elijah
and sweet, sweet Ruby.
Not to mention the buckets of laughter
I’d have missed,
tens of thousands of delightful mealtimes,
the comfort of being needed
to work through life’s struggles,
scads of unexpected surprises,
and knowing I’m completely surrounded
by my sweet pile
who love me, thrive on hanging out with me
and still think I’m crazy-cool
[even though I’m really not]
The bottom line:
Truth.
Dear Sweet Friend, one day soon I will share with you how this statement has blessed me. "Let not the opinions of man interfere with the directions given to you by God." Your beautiful family is an amazing testimony of God's love….and the ripple affect of hearing His voice and following Him……..
I can't wait to hear the story!! xo
So Glad the voice of the Lord was stronger. Those Job's comforter types can catch us off guard. I have learned it sometimes even comes from someone who is meant to be a 'mentor'. But praise God He can keep speaking til you realise their voice is out of tune.
Big Hugs, Linny.
I hope you are getting some rest there. Maybe just whiling an afternoon away holding a Gem. 😉
Sandy in the UK
Good point!! This chick was surely one of Job's comforters!
We are in the middle of an international adoption of 2 (possibly 3!) older kiddos. We have two younger biological children. You wrote this for me. 🙂
Praise the name of the Lord!!
GREAT post.
Thank you Tracey!!
Great,Great,Great post. Thank you!!
Thank you Sue G.!!
Wow! God used YOU today to speak to me and to remind me to not listen to the world, but to listen to HIM! We are reviewing the file of a little boy in China and are praying over our decision. And, today a well meaning, loving cousin was asking about the adoption. I did not mention that we were reviewing the file of a boy. But, she said, "Please pick a girl!" Very adamantly! She has three boys and I have two boys, so she (and her mom and my mom) all want us to adopt a girl. But, we have gone into the adoption process with the decision to adopt the child that God leads us to whether it is a girl or a boy. And, now we are praying about a boy who has more special needs than we had anticipated being able to handle. So, long story short…this post really reminded me to not listen to the opinions of others and to turn to God for direction in our life and in our adoption! Thank you!
Close the door to all the other voices. It's only HIS that counts!! I pray you know that God can do anything!! We would not trade any of our "special" needs for anything!!!
AMEN!
Thank you for the reminder Linny!
Much love to you and your pile of treasures!
Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne!
Great truth and terrific reminder! It's hard to believe that anyone, especially someone you didn't have a close relationship with, would think it was their place to say such a thing. And yet I can believe it because I've heard it myself. Look at all that the Lord still had for you. Does that person know how many treasures you have now? Would love for her to see what a full and amazing life you have!
Some people have enormous hoostpa!! And that's why we need ginormous courage to stay focused on what God has whispered!
I am in tears, this spoke to the depths of my soul. Linny, I just love you and I had this in my life as well. I really needed this reminder again. It causes me to remember the painful hollow words of someone that speaks their words on our life disguised as everyone and it is not truth just opinion. His truth trumps their opinions, we just have to hold on to that, dig our feet into that….you did and the fruit is all there. I did and will continue to believe Him. Thankful for you soul sister!!
Awww sweet friend! You are an amazing mommy!! Remember that God is faithful and He WILL provide for your every need…and He is never late, but always on time!!
I'll never forget one response we got when we announced we were adopting, and adding child #5. Our friend told us we were stealing a child from an infertile couple, and should be ashamed at our greed! We have not told her about our preparations for adding #6!!
Oh my gracious. Stealing a child from an infertile couple?? Goodness be!! Isn't it amazing how people can meddle in other's business without any thought?? GO FOR 7 after 6…and don't stop there!!
Beautiful. Truth. I've heard similar things from family, with our first adoption. What we would have missed out on had we listened to their voice instead of His.
Thank you, Linny. And you know why…..