She's Waiting...

Lily has been home for almost a year and a half.  It amazes me to think about how much she has changed my life.  Before Lily, I did not think I could handle a child with medical needs.  Now, I can't imagine a second without this sweet little girl.  When we get her out of bed in the morning, we're greeted with her sleepy hugs and kisses.  She tells us throughout the day how much she loves us.  I tuck her in every night with about a million kisses and snuggles.  She is pure joy,all day every day!  There is no way to put into words what our daughter means to us.  We have three perfect children that we know God intended just for us.

So Blessed!!

Over the last 2 weeks, I've been so burdened for another little girl.  She is almost the same age as my Lily.  I see the same spirit and determination radiating from this little girl that I saw the very first time I watched a video of Lily.  She has so much in common with my sweet daughter...too much.  She yearns for a Mama and Daddy and brothers and sisters...just like my Lily before God brought us together.  She struggles to do simple things for herself, but she does them...because no one gets her out of bed in the morning and covers her with kisses and lets her know that she is loved and wanted.  She is so much like my Lily, they have the same color hair and eyes and even weigh almost the same.  They share  the same birth country.  They even share the same diagnosis.  This sweet little girl lives in an orphanage in China and possibly has Muscular Dystrophy, just like my sweet girl.

I have spent so much time watching videos of this little girl who is identified as "Frannie" on a special focus list.  She is so beautiful and determined and perfect!! She is already diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy and no one has moved forward to give her the family that she wants and needs.  MD is a scary diagnosis...is that why she is still waiting and wishing for a family?  It breaks my heart because I know the blessings of raising a child with MD.  I know that the joy my baby brings us far outweighs any struggles that we have.

Trent has watched the same videos and he's listened to me sob for this sweet little girl.  He understands how I feel.  IF our Lily had been diagnosed before we brought her home and we knew she had Muscular Dystrophy...would we have moved forward to bring her home??  It's a tough question and I honestly don't know the answer.  I know that the minute I saw her, God's voice was audible, "she is yours"!!  We were completely at peace with making Lily our daughter, even as doctors advised us that there could be more to her diagnosis than a hip dislocation.  We loved her, it didn't matter!!  Our family would have missed one of our biggest blessings if we hadn't stepped out in faith and brought Lily home.  It rips my heart out to think that we wouldn't have Lily if a diagnosis had scared us away.  I wish I had the right words to say to convince someone to take a chance on another miracle.

This little miracle is waiting to be loved and taken care of.  Trent has said IF we were rich (or even had a little extra) she would be halfway home with us by now.  The MD diagnosis does not matter to us.  We wouldn't think twice about making her ours.  Financially, it is impossible at this point.  God keeps putting this sweet girl on my heart, so I wanted to share the advocacy site so that others could see her and pray for her.  Could she be your daughter?  Oh, how I wish she could be mine!!

http://wonderfulwaitingkids.com//2013/frannie/  

You have to join the site in order to see the children.  You just have to provide basic information and your email.  It only takes a few seconds.  If you'd like to see Frannie's complete file, you can email annie.hamlin@lifelinechild.org to review her file.  I have it memorized already and I can tell you that she reminds me so very much of Lily.  Super smart, loving, beautiful, and yearning to be loved by a family.  



For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

Pray with us that "Frannie" is home soon!!  God's plans and His timing are perfect...this little girl is loved by Him.  We know that her family will find her soon.