Not What We Had Planned.

Another post was written and waiting to be posted. It's been deleted.

A few weeks ago, on Facebook, I saw a post asking if anyone was willing to adopt or help a little girl from Ethiopia - just 2 months old, alone in the world, and desperately in need of surgery for spina bifida and hydrocephalus - the same diagnosis our son Elijah has. But her case was more severe and she was stuck a million miles away. And there were no doctors that could help her there. And to get her here, would take a miracle. And really, did we have room for a number six?

But somehow through all those questions, we clearly knew she was ours. We made a phone call. I half expected them to tell me that a dozen other families further along in the adoption process had already stepped forward. I didn't even have a passport and we didn't have the thousands of dollars it would take to get her here. Scott took one look and said "Bring her home."

And so we took the next step. And the next.

We learned that where she came from, a birth defect might as well be a death sentence. They believe that it is a curse and they must rid the village of it. So it was a miracle that she was taken to a hospital at just 8 hours old. Surely God had big plans for this tiny girl. So we kept taking steps to bring her home safely. 

And we thought we finally had all the pieces, we had enough information to get her treatment, in Ethiopia. It would just take a few more phone calls.

But it was too late.

Over the weekend, little Mimi ran into the arms of Jesus. We never got to hold her, but we loved her.


A love that is real and is only possible because we were also orphans that have been rescued by a Savior that knew us before we were born. By a Savior that loves us more than we can imagine, despite the fact that we are broken and defective at birth.


She was loved. And so are we and because of that, we can continue to love "the least of these." Even if it means it hurts. It was worth it.