unexpected companions...

Once we found out we were pre-approved to be Ivy-Ann's family, we started sharing the news with our family and friends. I posted it on my facebook wall as well as in the facebook group of families that are also adopting from China using our agency.

Not long after posting it, a sweet lady (from the group), that I didn't even know, wrote and told me how excited she was for us. She said she had seen Ivy-Ann's picture on our agency's website months before and that she had been praying for her and praying that her family would find her.

I cannot tell you what this meant to me. Someone else had been praying for my little girl. Someone I had never met. And she was rejoicing that we had found our daughter!

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A couple of days later, I posted something on facebook about Ivy-Ann's name. My beautiful friend, Rebecca Reynolds responded, and, as we were talking, we discovered that around the same time we had decided to adopt from China, she had written a song called "Ivy." Not only that, a friend and mentor of mine, Ron Block, whose songs I've sung to my girls as lullabies since they were born, is the one who put those lyrics to music for his upcoming album.

And listen to some of the lyrics...

"Ivy, I can't ramble on, I'm running home to you."

"I long for the music of your laughter in the night."

"Ivy, wind your love around the love I bring to you."

"Ivy, make me strong; Ivy make me new."

"Ivy, I can't ramble on, I'm running home to you."

Here's a youtube video of Ron playing and singing "Ivy."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0xjDexsBX0

When I listened to Ron singing Becca's lyrics, I cried. As I sat there soaking in all the details of what this song is and how it came to be, I realized that my Father loves me enough that He orchestrated all of this for me. He had chosen Ivy-Ann for us. He knew her name before I even did. And He wanted me to know that. I couldn't think of a more beautiful way for Him to tell me than through this song written by these two, beloved friends.

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A day or so later, I was talking with a dear friend. She casually handed me an envelope and told me to just read it later. I put in my purse and didn't think about it again until later that evening. I opened it to find a beautiful, hand-made card. But the tears didn't come until I read what she had written.

Her best friend's father had passed away the day before, and as she was thinking about how to celebrate his life, she thought of Ivy-Ann. She said, "What better way to honor his life than with the gift of life for her!" Included was a portion of the money we need to bring our daughter home. We were so humbled and honored by the meaningful gift their family gave us.

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Each one of these things is a treasure to me that I don't want to forget. Each of these people has become a part of Ivy-Ann's story. It's all been unexpected, but it's been so beautiful!