A little fishing boat, on the ocean, in the middle of a storm. I think I would have been scared too. But Jesus was in the boat!
“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:26
We have been floating along in a little boat of our own as we have been preparing to travel to Colombia to finalize the adoption of Cameron’s baby brother, Cooper. The financial burden of the trip has caused a bit of anxiety as we have drawn near to the actual travel date. Even though we know that Jesus is in the boat with us, it doesn’t stop us from worrying about the wind and waves that seem to threaten us at every corner. We felt led  to send out letters to our friends and family sharing our need, we created a Facebook page promoting our cause to 800+ friends, and made sure that our Church family was aware of our financial need and was praying with us. Our prayer was simple, “O Lord, please lay it on the hearts of our friends and family to help by give a few dollars toward the cause.” If enough people gave a little, we figured that we might come close to meeting our goal.
This morning Jesus smiled and said to us, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?”
Following our church service this morning, it was announced that the 2nd & 3rd grade Sunday School class had made us some cards. The whole class shared their love and prayers for us and for Cooper. They wished us well on our journey and repeatedly exhorted us “not to worry” and “to be happy.”
In addition to the beautiful expressions of childlike faith and love, there was also another card. A card that once again reminded me of how small my faith is and how BIG our God truly is. The message simply stated, “Your financial needs and desires will be covered. God’s grace and bounties to our company will provide the rest of all your financial needs in this adoption.” With one wave of His mighty hand, God showed Himself strong through one of His servants whom He had already been blessing and preparing to meet this need in our lives.
The only one in our family that seems to truly understand the way God works in these matters is Cameron. Each night we pray with him. Mary Ann and I always pray, “God, please provide our financial needs” and “God, please protect and care for Cooper.” But when Cameron prayers, it always sounds a little different. Cameron never asks God for anything, he prays, “God, thank you for the money to help us get baby brother” and “God, thank you for taking care of my baby brother.” It is a subtle difference in vocabulary, but a huge difference in faith. We pray as if the request needs God’s attention. Cameron prayed thanking God for having already answered.
“But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14
We are extremely grateful to the Lord and for the saint that He is using to bestow this incredible gift. If God has laid it on your heart to give, please know that all of the donations given will be designated for our budgeted expenses as well as any unforeseen expenses related to travel or the potential extension of our stay in Colombia due to processing delays. Any additional money raised beyond our actual expenses will be donated to Lifesong for Orphans to help another adopting family.
Please continue to pray for the final items of paperwork to be completed quickly. We know that God has the perfect time chosen for our travel. We submit ourselves to His perfect will.
Awaiting His Coming,
Patrick, Mary Ann, Cameron, and soon to be Cooper
