Lauren and I wanted to take a few moments to testify to all of you of the Lord's provisional and gracious hand in our life. Most of you know that we have been praying about adopting for many years, and have recently decided to begin the process this coming fall/winter. Both Lauren and I have been struck recently at how incredibly the Lord has provided for us financially over the past year, not only to keep our heads above water, but also to give us enough to start the adoption process.
This past year, with the economy so poor in the State, and the Dearborn School District in a contract year, I did not receive the expected salary step that we were planning on. In response, the Lord provided two at-home side jobs for Lauren, both of which basically fell into her lap. I am convinced that without these two jobs, we would be paying bills with credit card debt right now. Jehovah Jireh!
During this year, we have really learned to trust God fully for our finances and to continue to tithe and give sacrificially even when things are tight. We were not altogether surprised when we both felt that now was the right time to pursue adoption. We had seen the Lord provide for us amply in the present and past, and knew that he would continue to "graciously give us all things". Last week, the Lord showed us some of the ways He planned to do this. In the span of about three days, I was offered two coaching positions at Fordson for the 08-09 school year, (boys varsity soccer and girls assistant track), and was also given a summer school teaching position for this summer. With this added income, and the adoption tax credit available the year the adoption is finalized, we are quickly seeing how adopting from Ethiopia is actually a feasibility, through the Lord's great provisions! Jehovah Jireh!
Lauren and I feel so blessed to be in a relationship with the Living God, the Creator of the Universe, the owner of cattle on a thousand hills. It has been incredible to see how the Lord has deepened our trust in Him and allowed us to know Him better and draw closer to Him through this process. Thanks for praising the Lord with us.
Michael and Lauren
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