Believing that our God is Good {Give Back Session Lily}

As I write this Blog post I am sitting in Awe of this amazing story I am about to share with you.  I hope that this story will speak into the deepest parts of your heart into those areas where your heart has maybe hardened.  This story is as real, and it’s complete proof that our God is real and who is and has always been good!

I just recently met Ashley & Matt, I didn’t know them personally before this moment showing up to their home to take photos.  Ashley called me a week ago with such joy in her voice, she must have been smiling while she was leaving my a voice mail.  And after getting a chance to talk to her I realized she must have a permanent smile going on and that joy is overflowing from her lips, from her presence over the phone and from her heart.  She asked me if I could come take photos of her new baby Lily.  I told her of course!  She told me they just didn’t have time to plan these photos because they found only hours before her birth that they might become parents!  No they didn’t have any idea they were going to be parents any time soon.  They seriously only decided to start looking into adoption agencies only a month ago and they hadn’t even had a chance to pick one…. yes this is true so how did they get Sweet baby Lily?

Well Matt and Ashley have been married 11 years.  They have always wanted kids.  They have always believed that they would be able to have them.  But through out the years they slowly realized that they were unable to have them.  They both always have celebrated with family and friends who have become pregnant, adopted and seemed to progress in their life while all the while they sat wondering why not us? It felt like God had forgotten them.  Yes they felt for years that God have forgotten them.  Can you imagine how that might have felt for them, watching those around them get pregnant, adoptions and all the while they are waiting in the desert waiting for their turn, does God care for them?  They must have had good days and bad days.  My heart breaks for those who are in this place, who are believing that God has forgotten them in some way.  Well as you can see that He had them in His arms the whole time in the desert, the whole time He knew how the story was going to unfold.    Matt and Ashley couldn’t see the future, couldn’t get a glimpse of what God was up to.  So they Humbled themselves before God in full surrender and you know what, God is Good and He came to their rescue!  He knew they has such a desire and longing for children and He met them there in the desert, He met them in their fear, He met them in their hurt and He met them in their unbelief.   And Matt & Ashley felt comfort, peace and their faith was strengthened through the waiting through the silence and through the feeling of being held captive/deserted in the desert.

They started a business to help with adoption, to help encourage those in the adoption process and just the remind themselves of the Anchored Hope they have in Christ!  Hebrews 6:19 “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain”  You can buy them here: http://mkt.com/anchored-living/anchored-in-hope

In early January this year Matt said, being self-employed for the last 10 years has allowed Ashley and I to learn what it means to rely on the provision of God to continually meet our needs. We’ve been through both tough and plentiful times but through it all have been able to recognize God at work. However, waiting on God in the area of children proved much more difficult. Leading up to this point there were times where we felt alone or forgotten but of course God was busy at work even when it was invisible to us.  This journey has been a great reminder that sometimes we can only see our present circumstances and we can’t easily see things from the big picture perspective.  We are excited about the next chapter in this journey and look forward to sharing our experience with others.

 

Gods Timeline, He has been at work for a long time:

On Sunday Jan 25th Matt & Ashley were asked by their pastor to be interviewed on a Sunday morning, to share their story of what God has been doing in their life.  At this point they only decided in Dec 2014 to start looking into the adoption process, they has just met with their coaches and close friends to share with them they are ready for adoption.  During this meeting their close friends told them that God told them that they will be moving in this direction and to start saving for them for the adoption process but to wait on them to be ready.  Well that took a few years!  They had been saving for them for years!  That in itself is a miracle, but it doesn’t stop here.  After their interview at church a man introduced himself and said his young sister was pregnant and wasn’t going to be able to care for the child because she was so young.  He told them this with the possible hope of maybe it was them??  They said she was prob 6 or 7 months pregnant but didn’t know for sure.  Here is the video a day before Lily came into the world: http://heritagechurch.com/lincoln/portfolio-item/the-power-of-my-promises/

On Monday Jan 26th 12am they got a call from the girls mother, she told them that she was in labor and asked them to come to the hospital.  Yes!!  A day after they spoke at church, met the man and thought wow this maybe could happen!  Can you imagine?

On Monday Jan 26th Lily was born into the world at 7lbs 15oz 20inch and Matt was asked to cut the cord.  Her birth mom loved her and knew that Matt & Ashley were going to be her parents even though they had just met only hours ago.  She amazingly had maturity and peace for a young lady.  She even said that God Chose them to be her parents.  God didn’t forsake Matt or Ashley or even Lily’s birth mom, He was with them in the desert, He never left their sides.  He knew that the story would unfold this way.  He knew baby Lily Rose would be born this very day and that this would be the day that Matt & Ashley would become parents.  They wait was over.

On Sunday Feb 1st They were able to stand up at church and introduce baby Lily to their church family.  Miracles do happen and our God is Real!

Lily is gorgeous!  She is a true gift from God and so unexpected and yet perfect!

So they didn’t have any baby items, they didn’t have a car seat or anything.  But they have been blessed by all their close friends and family and God has been providing the needs.  I am so very glad that I get to be invited in a bit to this amazing story that God has written for their lives.  I can’t wait to see Lily grow and my prayer for her is that she knows that her Heavenly father loves her so very much, she has a purpose and may God speak to her heart and show her that she is His and He will fill her up with Joy!

Here is their blog with my on their story:  http://www.mysmashingadventures.blogspot.com/p/our-journey-to-parenthood.html