One of the reasons I started this blog was so that the ripples from God’s movement in my life could spread out and touch others. I want God to be seen, and heard, and felt through my family. I don’t want anyone who meets me to ever wonder WHY we are doing what we are doing. I want it to be obvious. God asked. We said yes.

But, I have realized more than ever lately, there is more to our journey.

Someone planted a seed. Someone else’s story made us sit up and take notice. It was God’s work in someone else’s life that made us take a hard look at our own hearts and ask ourselves, “What more can we be doing?”

The Matos family.

Chris is a pastor at our church (and he was Scott’s college room-mate!). Jessica is a stay at home mom – to 7!!! They have adopted 4 of their beautiful children. We watched them love and nurture and raise their family. We watched God at work in their lives. And we heard the first whisper from God, “Only them? Or maybe you, too?”

After we said yes to God, Chris and Jessica were the first people to give us a donation towards our adoption fees.

When we received our referral for 3 children, and then our agency asked us about the possible 4th, Chris and Jessica came to dinner at our house and said, “If not you, then who?”

And, for the past 6 months, whenever I feel like crying, or have a question, or need to spill out the angry words that have been building in my heart, I call Jessica. And she always speaks truth and grace to me.

God uses Chris and Jessica Matos to encourage us, to love us, to challenge us, and to spur us on.

I want for some other family – maybe months from now, maybe years from now – to say the same thing about us. I want them to trace the beginning of their adoption story back to the time they saw our family, or read our blog, or heard our story and they heard a whisper in their own hearts. “Only them? Or maybe you, too?”

I was at a birthday party last weekend with many families from our church. It was a birthday party that was planned in only 2 days because it was unknown if the birthday boy was going to be here or not. He is a darling, hurting, loved little boy who is currently being fostered by some of our friends – Gordon and LynnAnne DeWitt. Who knows? When did they first hear the whisper in their hearts? What stirred them to action?

Attending that party were many families who came to support and love on this little boy.

Attending that party were 14 children who are either fostered or adopted.

14 children who needed a loving home and found one.

14 children who have their lives impacted for eternity.

14 children who are no longer alone.

Griff and Nurina Tonkin were there. They are currently fostering a beautiful teenage girl and they have another child coming to their home this week. When did they first hear the whisper in their hearts?

Joe and Kara Ayer were at that party. They now have 6 children – 3 biological and 3 they are fostering. When did they first hear the whisper?

The DeWitts, they have 5 children – 2 of whom were recently placed in their home through foster care. When did the DeWitts first hear the whisper?

Of course, Chris and Jessica Matos and their 7 children were at the party. When did they first hear the whisper?

Despite the heartache, the pain, the tears, and the stress and

because of the joy, the love, the blessings, the hope I see in our beautiful children…

I am thankful that I listened to God’s whisper in my heart.

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:11-12

I am thankful for my community of friends.

And I am thankful for the Matos family.

Blessings!

Natalie