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Grace Abounds

Hong Yi we love you! from Darby Stickler on Vimeo.

Well here goes nothing! Today, Orphan Sunday, seems like a perfect day to post a little bit about our adoption journey. The internet tells me it has been 5 years and 4 months since I last wrote a blog post. That feels like a really long time, if I were sum up these last few years, my current mantra of “grace abounds” would be a perfect summary of the last 5 years. I recently told my Instagram friends that I would answer all the questions from last weeks post in the comment section, however, after reading the questions, I realized each question needed more than just a few word reply. To avoid coming down with what I call carpal thumbal from trying to type all the answers on my iPhone with my two thumbs, I am here, dusting off my old corner of the internet.

Before I start answering these questions I want to reiterate that we have little to no idea what we are doing šŸ˜‰ … remember, God does not call the equipped, he equips the called. That’s what we simply are: called. I am not qualified to give advice. We don’t even have our precious son yet. But this is our story, our experience and my prayer is that God will use it for his glory, and perhaps encourage someone out there to adopt, because it’s not anywhere near as scary as it feels, although, I’ve not done it yet, so take that with a grain of salt. šŸ˜‰ Matt Chandler says, “Where the ideal is lacking, grace abounds”. This applies to every aspect of our adoption, to me the epitome of ‘the ideal lacking’ is an orphaned child. Our family is not ideal, we are sinners clinging to the cross and trusting the truth of the Gospel. On our own accord, without our Savior, we are capable of nothing, but by the grace of God, we are saying, show us what you have for us through this… and we already know, his grace abounds.

Here’s what y’all asked on Instagram….

  • How did your older children handle it all when you first started to bring up the idea of adoption? And brutal honesty… was there ever any ā€œjealous of attentionā€ moments? Comparable to when a sibling is born? Sorry if these are too superficial for you to answer!

Not too superficial at all… you name it, we’ve thought about, worried about, prayed about it, and probably worried about it some more. Our concerns and anxieties ran higher primarily before he came; because let’s be honest, usually worrying/thinking about something is 100x worse than actually living it out! AdoptionĀ  literally has “ALL THE FEELS”.Ā  The kids never voiced any concerns or jealousy about adoption. They’re all old enough to understand what an orphan is and understand that they have what he doesn’t. That’s not to say, once he’s home thatĀ  we won’t have bouts of jealousy or frustration that our lives will have to adjust greatly because he’s with us. If anything, it is such a powerful reminder that the world does not revolve around us! And to die (to ourselves) is to gain. When Levi was here with us this summer there was no jealousy. We tried to desperately soak up every minute we had together because we knew 2 weeks would pass in the blink of an eye. Overall, we have seen our children live out the gospel, to love the least of these, and to exhibit compassion towards their brother. Does it require sacrifice on their part? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes. The honest truth is… it has grown the kids, it has changed them, encouraged them, it has given them grace and compassion and broken their hearts for the things that break God’s.

  • So happy for you guys! ā¤ļø When Levi came to visit, was this to see if he was a good match for your family? Do they often do this? Did he understand what was going on? I was just curious. ????

In November of 2016, just after Thanksgiving, JM and IĀ  were laying in bed, Justin was in the shower, and IĀ  was doing my usual Facebook feed scroll when I came across anĀ  album from Cradle of Hope adoption agency in Silver Spring,Ā  Maryland. It was an album a friend had shared and it was a compilationĀ of bios on about 15 waiting children from China, accompanying each child’s bio was a video. These were all special needs children that were available for a winter hosting program that was actually cancelled shortly thereafter. I’ve learned, with adoption, you have to roll with the punches, and there are a lot of punches. Fortunately, my friend who shared the post of children looking to be matched, had also hosted and adopted through the same program, so I quickly shot a few texts off to her to ask a few questions about what hosting meant. In a nutshell, the intention of our agency (and any agency offering hosting programs) was to “host with the intention of adopting”. So what piqued my interest quickly escalated (in about 3 minutes) from a 2 week commitment to a lifelong commitment. Ultimately, my longstanding dream of adopting was staring me in the face and if we didn’t act, someone else would host and adopt this sweet boy they called “Levi”. JM and I watched Levi’s video over and over again and envisioned what life would be like if he was in our family. Justin got out of the shower and I introduced him to his new son,Ā  Levi. šŸ˜‰ I also set him on Justin’s background screen and lock screen and proceeded to text him pictures of him several times a day. Levi is actually the name our agency gave him. Each Chinese child is given an English name to make referring to them much easier. In our case, it just so happened that we loved his name, which means “bound in harmony”.Ā  (continued below in next question)

So to answer the question more directly, ‘was it to see if he was a good fit for our family’? The purpose and intent of hosting programs are to match children with families. All children listed in hosting programs are “special focus”, which in the adoption world, is one step above “special needs”. Meaning these children are less adoptable, usually due to age, disability or illness. When we applied to host him last November, we committed to adopting him. There was no “let’s see if he is a good fit”. We were fully committed to adopting him from the beginning. However, several of the children hosted were being hosted byĀ  families committed to advocating for them, and helping them find their forever families. The sad reality is, some children, due to age, or special needs are harder to match with families. Hosting programs have great success with matching these children.

Since we began our journey a year ago there have been 2 rounds of law changes from China and unfortunately, the hosting programs have been cancelled. I have so many mixed emotions on this, but I will save my thoughts on that for another post.Ā 

  • Were you and Justin on the same page/equally committed to adoption throughout your journey?

I started praying about and exploring adoption when Morgan was born, 13 years ago. Back then the best resource for adoption was “message boards”, which reallyĀ  makes me laugh. Over the years I have followed friend’s adoptions through blogs and Facebook. Justin and I have casually discussed adoption. We had a very transitional season in our lives that took us away from our home for 4 years (5 years for Justin) to Orange Beach while Justin was on the oil spill response, that season kept a lot of things on hold. I always thought that foster care would be vesselĀ  to adopt, it seemed less scary to me. However, the Lord clearly had other things in mind. Justin was not surprised by my introduction of his son to him. And within a day or two, he said, “let’s do it!”Ā 

  • I never knew you could adopt boys only girls. Is this something new for China?

Chinese orphanages are actually filled with boys and girls. From Holt International adoption agency website: Twenty years ago, the children coming home from China looked very different from those coming home today. They were almost all healthy infant girls! Most children now living within Chinaā€™s social welfare system have some degree of medical or developmental condition. They are between the ages of 2-13, and to many familiesā€™ surprise, they are about 50 percent girls and 50 percent boys. Most children are under age 5 at the time of placement.

  • Congratulations, so happy for your sweet family! Iā€™ve got a non-adoption question…where did you get that gorgeous blue top? ????

The blue shirt came from Ross (Dress for Less) šŸ˜‰

  • I feel so much a part of your journey as I prayed for Levi along with prayers for our girl! What area is he from?

Levi is in Northwest China, which seems to be a less commonly traveled to section of China. He is in Lanzhou, Gansu Province

  • Will you call him Hong Yi or Levi? How did y’all decide on China?!

We decided on China when we saw his precious face and fell in love with him, he just so happened to be in China. We will likely call him Hong Yi for a while, that is what we called him when he was home earlier this summer. And within a few weeks, we will transition to Levi.

  • Canā€™t imagine the excitement your family must be feeling…Would like to know about where he is now? Does China have orphanages similar to what the US had before the current foster system? Would love to hear his story of how he ended up in the orphanage.

China has so many orphanages and hundreds of thousands of orphans. I am not familiar with what US orphanages were like before foster care, but I imagine there are some similarities. Levi’s story is sad and personal. What I will say, is what most of these children have experienced is completely heart breaking and unimaginable. Regardless of how they got to the orphanage, they lack the love, affectionĀ  and stimulation that parents give babies/toddler/children, and this creates obvious deficits for them all.Ā 

  • ???? blessings abound!!! I recall you shared a book that you read before or maybe it was during the journey…. am I making that up? Would love to know the title!

We’ve read several books and completely endless hours of online International adoption training. A few of the books that come to mind first are: The Connected Child, Adopted for Life, The Bridge that Love Built, and You Belong Here. We are in a busy season of life and I’ve not been able to read near as much as I would like to. Please leave your adoption book recommendations here in the comments or on Instagram!

 

Will try to post again soon!

xo Darby

 

 

Thank you Marla Carter for these priceless photographs. We willĀ  treasure them for a lifetime!

And thank you Kim Hilliard for compiling our video, it too is a treasure to our family!

 

36 In Faith/ Life

Life

I am slow, and thankfully y’all are patient!Ā  We are enjoying our summer together as a family, entertaining guests regularly and soaking up what seems to be left of summer. My flesh is tempted to apologize for not being here more regularly but I’ve been reminded recently just how unimportant time at the computer is and how important time with my family is. Thank you for being patient with me!

If you’ve been around for a while you likely recall my requests for prayer for Montye. Last Tuesday Montye passed away. She leaves behind her precious daughters {ages 4 & 6} and husband, Chris.Ā  My heart has been heavy and sad for their family, and I have also rejoiced the Montye knew Jesus and is now completely healed and no longer suffers. I ask that you please keep their family in your prayers.

montye&girls

Last Tuesday when I heard the news of her passing I dug through the archives of my emails to read back through our correspondences and I want to share a few of her words with you…

Darby, thank you for your sweet email and for the prayers you have lifted up for my healing and my family. I am doing much better this week, I am surrounded by wonderful family, incredible friends and a great community. I have felt the Lord’s Peace wash over me this week and I know He is by my side. I have decided that no matter what the doctors say that really in the end it is my Heavenly Father that decides how much timeĀ I have left on this earth… and I know He has great plans for me.
As for the prayers, I will graciously accept them all. The power of prayer is truly amazing!
No need to write back… spend that time with your precious little ones.

 

I know that Montye appreciates your prayers for her family!
67 In Faith/ Life

A Year in Genesis

drinktable

I’ve been involved in Community Bible Study {CBS} this year and last Wednesday was our final meeting.Ā  It has been a wonderful year. My mother-in-law has been in CBS for many, many years and has told me the last few years how much I would love it… so this year was my year to jump in. I was blessed with an amazing group of ladies in my core group and an amazing leader. Each year they conclude with what they call “share day” which is basically an open mic opportunity for people to share what the Lord has taught them over the last 9 to 10 months. So as the time approached I couldn’t help but think about what an amazing year it has been being in the Word and in fellowship with other women from the community {from all different churches & denominations}. I am consistently inconsistent when it comes to a lot of things and meditating on and studying the Bible is one of them. I need accountability. I need direction. And this year CBS was JUST what I needed.

I didn’t share at “share day” because those things make my palms sweat, my heart beat fast, my voice quiver and I’d probably take one look at our teaching director {who is leaving this year} and cry a river. I would have no good reason to cry a river, and it wouldn’t be just a sad river, although I am sad she’s leaving, it would be aĀ  river that would pour out in gratitude for a year of fellowship and wonderful Bible study and honest, humble, and transparent teaching by our director. If you’re looking for solid Biblical teaching you should see if there is a CBS class in your area. Or if you are interested in listening to solid Biblical teaching on Genesis over the summer {that I’ve had the honor and pleasure to study under this year} ALL of Amy’s lectures are on iTunes for free. You can search itTunes: Amy Edge podcasts. They’re free and categorized by chapter & date. Amy is an incredibly gifted speaker, each week it was as though the Lord had given her a peek into my life and her message spoke directly to my heart.

So, I thought long and hard about what I learned this last year I wondered how I could possibly summarize all of Genesis {the first book in the Bible} and all that the Lord taught me through Genesis. I will be honest: there is HARD stuff in Genesis. When I say hard I mean things that take faith to believe, some things that I still have a hard time believing, things that make you say, “Really, Lord?!”, things that make you want to scream, things that make you want to cry, things that make you want to stomp your feet, things that make you uncomfortable…Ā  Creation. Sin. Death. Sexual Immorality. Murder. Rebellion. Corruption. Testing.Ā  And in the end… do you know what I walk away with: God is sovereign. God is faithful. God alone. God will work his plan, in spite of us. We cannot get in His way. Our fleshly plans cannot thwart the plans of God. Genesis is full of Godly people who SIN and fall short and yet are still used by the grace of God to bring his plan to fruition. Genesis really is a perfect picture of God’sĀ  sovereignty and His redeeming love.

Over the last week I’ve been going through my CBS workbooks, reviewing what I’ve learned {and learning that I don’t remember very well}. As I went through I took one truth {an application or Biblical truth} from each lessonĀ  and made a list to remind myself of what I learned this year. Since you all are my innocent bystanders, I thought I’d share here. Brace yourself. There were a LOT of lessons… but I hope you can glean from what I learned this year. So here is what I took away {literally, some of these are direct quotes from my lesson books, some from my own notes}, one bullet for each week, 30 weeks worth of lessons summed up in 30 short sentences …

  • Intro to Genesis: God acts in grace, urging the rebels home against all their inclinations.
  • The trinity’s involvement in creation cannot be disputed, nor will it be fully understood this side of eternity.
  • God deals with His fallen creatures in grace, wooing them back to Himself in Godly sorrow & repentance.
  • Godliness involves putting our hope in Christ.
  • More important than secular blessing of plenty our heritage might bring us, is the spiritual blessing of being in a place where we can know God & seek to grow in our faith.
  • While men challenge divine authority and show themselves worthy of judgment, God moves ahead with His own plans.
  • Though Abram begins hesitantly & fails periodically, he grows in faith & obedience.
  • If God is urging you to do something outside your comfort zone think long and hard before you say “no”… He may want to accomplish something spectacular for His glory.
  • The Lord makes himself most real– makes His presence felt– during times of great testing.
  • God is good. God forgives. God is patient.
  • Intercessors must approach God as Abraham did, with reverence, boldness, and persistence.
  • Our actions must be consistent with our faith– unless we invite God back into our culture, we will continue our downward spiral.
  • We are imperfect, flawed people living in an imperfect world, so there will be tears, but even through the tears, we can ask the Lord to give us joy– and bless us with laughter. {Like Sarah when she finally conceived}
  • God does not test us for the purpose of making us fail but rather for the purpose of seeing us succeed. Because faith is like a muscle and it must be used to grow strong. {A test is not a temptation. A test is from God, a temptation is from the flesh.}
  • Sarah was a woman of faith and supportive of her husband’s aims {with exception of Hagar} and she was beautiful… Let’s not confuse our culture’s shallow idea of celebrity beauty with the kind of attractiveness that Godly character produces.
  • When God answers a specific prayer so quickly and exactly {referring to Abraham’s servant finding a wife, Rebekah, for Isaac}, sharing that fact with other believer’s builds both their faith and ours.
  • Referring to Sarah & Abraham… they had faithfully — though not flawlessly– served the Lord in their generation.
  • Many strive above all for lots of money. Many people have sold out, they have forfeited the spiritual birthright of God-given joy, peace, strength in time of tragedy , and intimacy with Jesus Christ in order to conform to the culture that surrounds them. They would rather be popular than godly.
  • Do your best to raise children who love God.
  • One of the most amazing things about God is his ability to use anything and everything- even bad circumstances and our wrong choices- to bring about His own good & perfect will.
  • God blesses and uses people even when His blessings are unearned and undeserved.
  • God wants us to stop scheming and start trusting– stop living by our own wits and start living by His wisdom.
  • We should be reliable and dependable; we should not be lazy or irresponsible. God will hold us accountable for how we use our time and our talent.
  • Our losses take time to heal, and many scars stay with us, but Christ has both the power to redeem our circumstances and the commitment to carry us through each day of the healing process.
  • {In reference to God using Tamar in spite of sexual sin} What a liberating surprise to realize once again that we do not have to be perfect to be used by God to achieve His purpose!
  • If you are facing a difficult adjustment {think of Joseph} and ask God to give you the faith to handle it with grace as he did. The answer for Joseph was to trust God and the answer for us is the same.
  • We can study His Word to us and obey it so that our actions please Him, and we are conformed to the image of Christ instead of being conformed to the world.
  • Never doubt that people can truly change.
  • God is at work at work behind the scenes in your life, providentially preparing you for His purposes!
  • Greatness has nothing to do with possessions or position– not in God’s eyes. We are pilgrims passing through.
  • A chance to die to ourselves will bring life.

Hello, is anyone still here? šŸ™‚

Hopefully you can take something away from all of that! I am already looking forward to next year {we will be studying Luke– let me know if you want more info on our local class!!} and I am so thankful that I have a group of ladies to meet with this summer to hold me accountable… like I said, without accountability I’m nearly useless!

This week has been very busy and very exciting… hoping to put my thoughts and pictures in another post soon!