Building a Bear for Mercie

We sent Syler a monkey from build a bear back in November, with our first package to him. We stuffed it full of love and dreams and even our voices were included. So when we finally got approval for Mercie, we went to build a bear for her too! And we did the same thing. Debated over which bear fit her sweet personality. Each of us chose a heart that we prayed over and stuffed it full of love. The wait is so long when our children are so far away,  it helps a bit knowing that they will hold these things that were made by our own hands. 

 We have also been working hard to get a space ready for the kids. (Syler's room gets it's own post!) Because Mercie is only 2, we plan that she will spend quite some time sleeping with us. We know that she will not know she does not have her own space, but I did want to put some effort into it. Even if she sleeps in our bed, which is what we hope for.

 My aunt gave me the quilt through an auction for the Life Network Pregnancy care center. I find it quite fitting that it was made by the quilters at our church. LOVE the colors, love that it is a cozy house, a home. A place Mercie has never lived in.

I wanted to find a picture to hang over the crib, and I searched and searched. This photo caught my attention, but I just wasn't sure. I picked it up, put it back, put it in the cart, put it back and walked away. But then I came back to think some more. (in case you didn't know, I OVERTHINK everything) I stood there studying the photo when something caught my eye.

It the top corner, against the leaf it had a verse. And when I saw what it was I started to weep right there in the middle of Hobby Lobby.  If you would like to read WHY this verse made me weep, please go here to read. 

When God breathed adoption in my heart he also planted that verse along with it.

He used it so many times to remind me of WHY we were on the journey we were on. With Sage, with Mavery and now THIS picture. Not only is it fitting that it says PRAYER CHANGES THINGS, the verse. So to the counter I went to pay and that picture was over her crib as soon as I walked in the door.

Each time I look at her crib, next to my bed, I am reminded Prayer DOES change things.

Most of all prayer has changed ME, it has changed Mark. We are getting ready to travel for our 6th and 7th children. Children we begged the Lord to let us parent.

There are times our Faith wavers. We question, we cry, we get so tired of waiting and wondering. We think of our kids sitting in an orphanage, and it breaks us. I have walked the halls of that place, I KNOW how they live. I can't think to long or to hard or I go crazy.

But not much longer! We hope to have a date this week!

And we hope to have pictures of that bear in the arms of our baby girl, it is being delivered today!