Choosing to SEE - Mary Beth Chapman [38]
Who knows (God does) how this act may be multiplied within our close circle of friends and family, and I will pray and ask for that, but that’s not the point. The point is that there is one life somewhere (probably China) that is or soon will be in need of a family who will introduce him or her to his or her Savior. Today I commit to respond to God’s revelation and give Mary Beth my full support to begin paperwork for another adoption.
Emily, Caleb, and Will started screaming. I started crying. The joyful noise startled an almost-asleep Shaoey, who promptly started crying, as if to say, “Oh no, my throne is going to be captured!”
I was completely excited, completely fearful of the implications, but the wheels were already turning in my madly multitasking brain. In my head, I was half done with all the adoption paperwork, and somehow I was already brewing a plan to get some of our closest friends to adopt again with us so we could all go to China together.
A week later, Steven was reading his Bible and a verse from 1 Thessalonians 2 hit him: “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy” (v. 19).
He felt that God was reminding him that when we all stand before Christ in the end, the main thing we’ll have to show for this life will be the spiritual children we’ve been a part of bringing into His kingdom. What a joy, Steven thought, to present our children toChrist as our joy and our crown in His presence!
We had already picked the name “Stevey” for our new daughter-to-be. We knew it meant “crowned one” because “Steven” means the same thing. Who knew God would give us a tiny little girl, who out of all the Chapman children would be a princess in training, a girl who loves sparkly crowns and tiaras? God knew. And as Steven read his Bible that day, he felt like God was showing him, “Here’s your hope (Shaohannah Hope) and your crown of joy (Stevey Joy).”
The next week I wasted no time in ordering various documents, scheduling the home study, and making my way through adoption agency applications and all that comes with the daunting task of assembling a dossier for a China adoption. As I worked on all the papers, I felt for some reason that I should order two of everything: two birth certificates each for Steven and me, two marriage certificates. Later this would be exactly what we needed to add to our family again, quickly. Of course, I didn’t know that then. But God did.
The other crazy thing that was going on inside my “don’t take no for an answer” brain was that, as the unofficial fourth member of the Trinity, I had decided it was God’s will that our great friends Geoff and Jan Moore should adopt again with us. The only small problem was that God had not yet revealed this to Geoff and Jan.
So, sucking Steven into my plot, I asked him to invite them to Loveless Café, our favorite breakfast spot. We ate a dozen or so biscuits with our favorite strawberry jam, eggs, and bacon.
“We kind of need to talk to you guys about something,” Steven said.
I pulled out a giant envelope full of adoption paperwork.
“This might shock you,” I said, smiling, “but we’ve decided to adopt again!”
Of course they weren’t surprised. They had seen us become intoxicated with Shaoey and adoption and orphan care, to the point of helping several friends adopt and even starting Show Hope. They grinned.
“And,” I went on, “we think you want to adopt again too! We would love to have you on this journey with us, so let’s do it together!”
Cue the crickets.
Our friends just sat there looking at us, and then slowly they looked at each other and smiled. Geoff’s grin said a dozen things at once. Things like, “Oh, crap! I knew it! We were already thinking about it! Only Mary Beth could try something like this!”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “It just so happens that when I filled out our preliminary applications, I filled out yours too!” I dramatically