The Neon Signs and Burning Bushes...

So.... here's some of the rest of the story....just so that in 20 years and 4 kids later, I can remember how this all came about.

After the stirring in our hearts about this whole adoption thing continued and never went away, I began asking God... Really?  You want me to do this?  Is this for real?  Because this whole adoption thing is never anything that has been on my radar, ever.  In fact, a friend of mine told me one time that when she was done having kids, that they would like to adopt. I thought she was crazy.  I remember saying to myself, that's one of the weirdest ideas I have ever heard of.  Why would anyone ever want to do that?  Ha!  Joke was on me!

Back to the story... after a while, I began asking God for "NEON SIGNS AND BURNING BUSHES".  I  told Him over and over again... you just gotta let me know.... crystal clear... I have to know that this is not all made up in my head... I have to know this isn't something crazy....

So, He began giving us signs.  It's crazy to look back on now.  Here are some of the neon signs and burning bushes that He gave us.

1.  Lots of sermons from Rick Atchley and Jonathan Storment (they are preachers at our church -  the big chief and associate, respectively)  where we really felt like the Lord was talking to us.  (By the way, a big shout out to the big post announcing our adoption, titled "Changing our Story".  In January, JS did a sermon on - a family changing their story for the better)

2.   Derek sent me an email while I was flying a trip in December.  We were just trying to make sense of all the God nudges... and we were trying to work them out and relay them to each other.  So this is what his email says....  He was talking about reading Jonathan Storment's blog...

Derek: I quickly skim through it and laugh a few times at his witty jokes. A great story about how God redeems the people of Israel by raising up Joshua even though the people didn't answer his calling 40 years earlier to go to Canaan. You remember the story right? Nothing really jumps out until this:

JS Post :

 But God knows exactly what He’s doing. Because the name Jesus means Joshua. It’s about a time in Israel’s history where all hope was lost. And God interjects a new and better story.

The name Jesus means that God saves. But in this context it doesn’t just mean that God saves us from our sins. It also means God saves us from wasting our lives and our passions on things that don’t really matter.

God saves us from living out a story that is too small. Christmas is the time of year that God reminds us of what kind of story He made us for.

And that is an (Advent)ure.

 Derek: So what do you think? God Nudging?

3.    These little signs and nudges were starting to get a little creepy to me.  God had never done anything like this to me before (that I know of), so it scared me a little.  And I remember feeling that fear.  In fact, I texted Derek or my friend Aimee, I don't remember... "This is scaring me!"  Well In December, I was in Lifeway buying Brooks a new Bible for Christmas... I opened up the first Bible to cheek it out... and it opened it straight to Joshua.  "Be strong and courageous.  Don't tremble or be terrified because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!  Be strong and courageous.  Faithfully doing what He commands."  I grab the next Bible to look at and I open it straight to Duet 28 - blessings for obedience.

4.  After Christmas, we are starting to think that this might really be a reality.  It's ALL we talk about.  So Derek and I are on a date one night.  We decide that this nudging is just out of control.  Are we freaking out here, or what?  We decide that we are going to make an appointment to go talk to Rick or Jonathan about "being called by God" or what is like to be "called"  or what it feels like or how do you even know??? how do you know that you are not completely off base.... because that we know of, neither one of us has ever been called to really do anything.  We have just coasted along in life.

Let me just say that we attend a LARGE church.  I don't even know how large... 7,000, 8,000, 9,000 members... I don't even know, but it's big.  And seriously, Rick and Jonathan don't even know the Cheatham family exists! So for us to say we are going to make an appointment with them to talk about these things was kinda funny.  Anyway, of course we never made the appointment.  And life went on.

About 3 weeks to a month later, we show up to church and Rick (because we are on a first name basis now!) starts a new series that he is preaching on.  Guess what it's about???? 

"BEING CALLED"

I kid you not.  He is doing a whole series on this!  So all those questions we had...well they are being answered without us even having to make an appointment! haha!  

Another little funny tidbit is that... about 3 days before we heard the 1st sermon in this series.... I was telling Derek and my friend ... "what about the name "Cy" for our new little one.  I had considered Cy for all 3 of my other kids, so I still had the name in my back pocket.  Funny that Rick just happened to mention Cy Young in his first "Called" sermon.  Coincidence?  I don't know.

5.   Here's the icing on the cake story....

So, I/we were absolutely dreading telling our parents.  I don't know why, we just were.  It's just that, we were done having kids and we are on easy street for now.  We have never talked about adoption, much less from Ethiopia!

Well, I call my mom to tell her and it went exactly how I thought it would go.  After that call, I just did not have it in me to call my step-dad (who raised me).   I remember getting off the phone and just putting my elbows on my bathroom counter and putting my face in my hands and just saying, "LORD... YOU HAVE GOT TO SHOW ME!  YOU HAVE GOT TO GIVE ME THE NEON SIGN THAT WE ARE NOT CRAZY.  IS THIS REALLY REALLY WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO???  PLEASE JUST SHOW US"

The next day I'm driving with the girls in the car, and my step-dad calls.  He really doesn't call often at all.   I let it go to voicemail because the girls are with me and I can't talk to him with them in the car.  He leaves a message and it says,  "hey... you've just really been on my heart the last couple of days.  I mean you are always on my heart, but I've just really been thinking about you the last 2 days"....

So I rush home and run straight to my bedroom to call him back.  This is how the conversation goes..

Small talk first

Me:  well I really meant to call you yesterday but I just didn't get it in

Don:  that's funny, I really meant to call you and I just didn't get it in

Me:  well, Derek and I have some news..... get ready.... it's a shocker, are you sitting down?

Don:  well what is it?

Me:  I............. think.............. we are gonna adopt from Ethiopia...........

Don:  WOW....  WOW...... WOW......   That's fantastic.  Wow.................... whoa...... oh my gosh..... oh my......... oh my........ how do I?????? 

(the periods are pauses here)

Don is very slow and thoughtful and diligent with his words. always. He's a marriage counselor for profession.

Me:   what???? put it into words????

Don:  Heather, I have been having visions, dreams..................... about your family.............. and there is a black child in these visions.................. I've been having these visions for about a year to a year and a half .(which is about how long the Lord has been stirring us)

Don:  I thought these vision were just about your charity:water project that you were doing in Africa.  That's what I thought this was all about.

At this point, I haven't told him any details of what we are adopting....just that we are.

Me:  So, in these visions, is it a boy or a girl that you are seeing?

Don:  It's a ..................BOY.

Me:  How old?

Don:   about 18 months to 2 years

And you all know that we have requested a boy, age 2-4.  

Isn't that amazing?  That the Lord would give me a huge sign like that.  He knew I needed it.  I begged for it.  Although, the burning bush would have been fun too!

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT - THE ICING ON THE CAKE STORY.  I didn't question God anymore.  That was it.  It was a done deal.