Meant to be

Let me tell you a story about little big brother...

And big big brother...

And how their new little baby sister and baby brother...

were meant to be.

Their mama and dada were happy with their two older boys but something stirred in them to have another. For various reasons, they wanted to explore adopting and decided to jump through every hoop, sign every dotted line, and wait for a match made in heaven. If it was meant to be, it was meant to be.

But as I often find the story goes...while they were waiting, mama discovered she was pregnant! Thrilled with their surprise, they called the adoption people and removed their name from the potential parent list. 

They prepared for number three.  Big brothers and family were excited, all was well.

Until one day...

They received a phone call from the adoption people and it went something like this:

Adoption people: We have a baby for you.

Parents:  What do you mean?! There must be some confusion, we took our names off the list.

Adoption people: Not sure what you mean, but there is a birth family that would like you to have their baby.

Parents: But...we...are pregnant, and...took our names off of the list?

Adoption people: This family has chosen you.

Parents: But we...are.......When is the mother due?

Adoption people: Any day.

It took a prayerful moment and a quick intake of all that this would mean (bringing home a new born while pregnant with another, four kids instead of three) and yet deep in their hearts they knew that if it was meant to be, it was meant to be. How can you argue with being chosen? 

Days later they brought home baby sister (whom, I think, personally felt it was time to give mom a break from all the testosterone in the house. I mean look at those girly lips and sweet cheeks!).

And a couple of months later they brought home baby brother...

As I stood over these two, clicking away, I felt this voice in my heart say: nothing is bigger than Me Tracey. Not your plans, not your logic, not your defenses, or excuses, or your limitations. If something is meant to be, it is meant to BE. 

When we participate in the divine, the journey is amazing. 

Because I am discovering that God dreams bigger for our lives than we do for ourselves. 

I do not think this mama knew that her heart had room for two more, but God did. And when you are chosen, how great the honor and privilege to step up to the call. No matter how difficult or what you think your limitations may be, when you participate (fear and all) the return on your investment will be what you could not have possibly imagined. It is too big for your finite mind to even comprehend.

When something is meant to be...difficult or miraculous...it is a gift wrapped in an unusual package. Opening it up we find may find that it was more than we thought we could handle or imagine, but we find that it was created specifically for us to grow us, teach us, move us to a place that was better than where we once stood.

How great a gift.