Fundraising: complete.

Care for a good gushing session? Okay. You’ve come to the right place!

There are literally (and I mean that) at least a thousand things I could say I’m thankful for right at this very moment. Never before, outside of salvation, have David and I been the recipients of such overwhelming kindness and generosity. And there were so many amazing, lifelong-memory moments that happened over this weekend… I’m kind of reeling. A few times we have looked at each other and said, “Did that really happen….?” And even more, there were all of these sweet and simple moments that, in and of themselves, on any other weekend, would bring about so much joy. The combination simply has my heart swelling.

I won’t give you a list for fear of making you nauseated, but let me just celebrate one big thing right quick: We have exceeded our fundraising goal!!! We’re done. Done, I tell you! And now, we continue to wait for that phone call – that email that will change our lives forever. (Give me a break, I’m feeling dramatic…. J)

To all of you who gave ---- Thank you. To those of you who gave anonymously ---- THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I wish we could send you a thank you note or hug your neck or something, but we trust that the Lord will bless all of you richly.

Now for a few quick facts: Our YouCaring site will remain on the blog through the end of the year in case you’d still like to give. It doesn’t allow us to manually update the total to include donations by check or cash, so it’s not really accurate. But any additional donations we receive will go into savings for potential Baby Smith #2. (Eeeek!)

Our good, good Father is gracious and faithful. He is great and greatly to be praised. He is a generous provider, lavishing good gifts on His children. And I am, by no stretch of the imagination, talking about money right now. Praise His name. Like, for real.

On Advent and adoption.

It’s late on a Sunday afternoon. The weekend chores are finished. The fire is crackling and glowing. The Christmas tree is lit. And I’ve spent the last 120 minutes curled up on the couch, watching a Christmas movie while brownies for one of the four parties on our schedule this week are cooling in the kitchen and filling our house with the sweet reminder that the season is upon us. Typically, the holidays are a little stressful. But for me, this weekend feels like the first time I’ve taken a real, long, deep breath.

Almost unanimously within our circles, the past few months have been hectic and busy. I’ve found it really difficult to fully process things because it’s literally been one thing after another. So much has happened, and yet, for us in the Smith house, things aren’t really that much different. We are waiting. Like we have been for about two months now. And I praise the Lord that we’ve been so busy – otherwise the waiting might have driven me a little crazy.

The next step for us in the adoption process is getting that phone call or email: “A birth mother would like to meet with you.” And I’ll be completely honest; the thought of that phone call makes my stomach drop. To think that some brave woman is choosing to give her child life and has requested to meet us in consideration of parenting that child….. It’s just so intense to me. And humbling and scary and exciting all at once….

It feels so incredibly appropriate that during this Advent season, we wait. With the hope of a child. With the possibility that this Christmas will be our last as a family of two. With all of the warmth and joy and sparkle that come with the holiday season. Knowing that our hope is only a small shadow. That the eager longing we feel for this child is nothing compared to our desperation for Christ – both in His birth and in His return.   

We believe that He is good. We trust His timing and know that it’s perfect. And so, with hope, we wait.