Coincidences?

I'm always amazed at the "coincidences" that continue happening along our adoption journey, and the miraculous ways that God is working in the hearts of my friends and family. About two weeks ago, a special about "Operation Smile" came on tv after one of our favorite shows. I had never head about "Operation Smile", and we weren't planning on staying up so late that night. But, as Marty & I sat there together on the sofa, we were soon so touched by the stories that neither one of us moved for that full hour. "Operation Smile" is an organization that began with doctors and nurses who volunteer to go oversees to third world countries to do free surgeries for children born with cleft lip and palate. That nite, the stories were from Vietnam, and my heart was so moved. I sat there with tears streaming down my face as I watched the beautiful stories of these children whose lives were so changed by these surgeries. I glanced at Marty from time to time, and noticed he was very quiet and captivated with what we were seeing. I was obviously really touched by "Operation Smile", but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. After we headed off to bed, my mind kept drifting back to HuoungHuoung, the precious little boy with cleft lip and palate who almost became our son. I still was wondering why this little one has never been far from my mind.

A few days went by, and then, at dinner one evening, Marty started talking about "Operation Smile". He was just going on and on about how touched he was and how much he wished there was something that we could do for those children. I sat there in stunned silence. God had been so powerfully speaking to Marty, just as He has been so powerfully speaking to me. Being in the midst of adopting Maia, I haven't shared with Marty very much about the stirrings in my heart about children with cleft lip and palate. I just continue letting this tiny seed grow in my heart and praying that God would show me just what His desire is for us. And most of all, I've been praying that He would reveal His plan to BOTH Marty and to me. Hearing Mart's words really confirmed to me that God is moving in our hearts to somehow reach the children of the world with cleft lip and palate. I don't know what this really means for us. We didn't talk about where we go from here. But we both know that God has laid this on our hearts, and we're continuing to pray that He will guide us in discovering His plan for our family.

Ohhhh....I just get goosembumps thinking about it! I know there are never any coincidences in our lives........ that "Operation Smile" didn't just happen to come on that nite......that the stories that nite were taking place in Vietnam......that we also happen to have a dossier in Vietnam.....and that we also have the promise from our old agency that we can come back and complete our adoption in Vietnam if adoptions re-open there one day. Coincidences? I don't think so!