Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. Hebrews 11:1-2 NKJ

It still makes me cry when I relive my daughter’s tear-filled questions.  With her voice trembling, she stuttered, “So, I didn’t just come from an orphanage?  I came from someone’s tummy?  How could a Mommy possibly let go of her baby?”

Although she was raised knowing the miraculous way God created our family, it wasn’t until her seventh birthday when Sierra realized there was a fourth person in our story.

Unrehearsed, my answer sounded something like this:

Can you imagine how much faith your birth mommy must have had?  It is illegal to get pregnant in China without a permit, and it is illegal to abandon your baby.  So, your birth mommy had to have faith that she would be protected as she held you in her tummy…

Faith that the two of you would be healthy as you entered this world… faith that someone would find this precious gift, carefully wrapped in a box at the side of a market and quickly take you to the authorities.

She must have had faith that you would be placed in an orphanage where you would be cared for… faith our hearts were being prepared to become your mommy and daddy… faith that we would love you with a love deeper than you could possibly imagine…

Sierra, your birth mommy must have had so much faith because I guarantee that when she held you for the first time, she thought, “I’ve never seen such a beautiful, perfect baby.”  There’s no other explanation for her actions besides faith.

For Sierra’s birth mom, there was no way she could have imagined that her precious daughter’s life would turn out as amazing as it has.  But, she had to take faith-filled actions for this story to come to fruition.

And for us?  Our family now has to have faith that God has quieted Sierra’s birth mom’s heart… faith that her emotions are being healed… faith that she knows the Lord intimately, or that she will, even though she lives in a country where Buddhism, Taoism, and Chinese folk religions are the dominant beliefs… faith that we will meet in heaven so we can hold her tight and profusely thank her for the gift she gave us - the gift of raising a daughter whom we couldn’t love more.

Are you struggling to believe that good will come out of your difficult circumstances?  Sweet friend, you are adored and cherished by our God “who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.” (Romans 4:17)

Write Romans 4:17 and Hebrews 11:1-2 on index cards as reassuring reminders from our Lord who loves you beyond measure.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for being the God of all compassion.  Thank You for understanding and empathizing with us as we struggle to believe in things we cannot see.  Strengthen our faith by Your Holy Spirit.  We love You and pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen!