Something deeper

My last few posts have been pretty upbeat and looking back over them it appears that it might seem we are just happily lightheartedly chugging away here in Austin. There's deeper things going on, however, but I've been careful not to post about them until it was the right time.

God has recently put a great urgency on our heart to become foster parents with the potential to adopt. On the one hand, it makes sense. I have a deep longing to care for endangered children across the world. You might remember this post oh so long ago. Also, my mom was adopted, so the thought of adopting has always been on my mind.

Phil is the most compassionate caring person I know, and once we had Ethan, he has become even more deeply concerned for the welfare of children. Tiny, helpless little ones in need of God's love and protection.

Phil and I have been praying, and seeking, and praying. I was out of town, so Phil attended a Foster Parent meeting alone a few weeks ago. We have the application, yet we continue to pray. On the news we've been hearing lately of horrible stories about abuse of children. The kind of stuff that makes us want to take up our pen and sign up now. Yet we wait. At church, a pastor gave a sermon this Sunday about how great evil exists in the world because it allows us also the capacity for great love of God, the consequence of having free will. He started the sermon with this graphic story. (Please know you will start crying within a few paragraphs.)

I started to cry. Phil was tearing up. We can't bear pain caused to innocent children. And then today Noel Piper's blog post comes through my reader. We can no longer sit and wait. I think we'll be picking up that pen this weekend. Please pray for us.