answered prayers

The Lord decided to answer my most fervent prayer in Michael's Craft store.

The Lord often answers my prayers in Michael's, but they are more of the please Lord let them have brass lobster clasps so I don't have to schlep my kids to the bead store variety.

This one was a biggy.

I went to Michael's for crystals, glue sticks and glitter, you know, the essentials. I got all these things and the answer to a prayer that has been weighing deeply on my heart.


Lately, when Sugar Daddy and I crawl into bed at the end of the day, we are exhausted. We look at each other too tired for any hanky panky other than footsie and we say, "Seriously. I don't think we can handle another child." So we lay there playing footsie and talk about how hard the day was. How Birdie spit up a billion times and cried every time we put her down. We talk about how sassy Thom can be and what we are going to do about that. We say, "We just aren't cut out for more. We can't do it."

And we turn out the lights and I roll onto my side and think about Birdie and how she is the little girl I always wanted and how she makes me feel complete and whole, even if she does wear me out and stain all my clothes.

I'm good, I'd think, I'm perfectly happy with two.

But there remained a little nagging feeling at the very back of my consciousness.

I was crouched down looking at the meager selection of embossing powder when I over heard a mother in the other isle. "Don't touch that Ella. Come here Ella. No Ella. I said don't touch. Don't push your sister Ella. Ella!"

I had to get a look at this Ella character.

A beautiful, fit, pulled together woman came around the corner followed by two little girls in matching outfits. They looked to be about the same age. Ella was fair with curly hair and big round eyes full of mischief. Her sister was dark with black hair and eyes and a shy quiet demeanor.

I'm not sure what came over me. I am usually shy and a little reticent in public, but I felt an overwhelming need to know.

"Excuse me, but do you mind me asking? Did you adopt your one daughter from China?"

She didn't skip a beat."Yes! And Ella is only four months younger! We got pregnant with her using IVF."

"So tell me, how is it? I might be headed down the exact same road and quite frankly, I don't know if I can do it."

"It's wonderful." She said. And I knew she really meant it.

And then she ran after Ella who was pulling something apart.

We talked for some time right there in the yarn isle.

So this is how, on a Wednesday afternoon, in Micheal's Craft store, the Lord told me that, yes, indeed there is another child that needs to come to our family and yes, I will be able to handle it.