LWA Project: A word from Christy Davis · April 17, 2013

Over the course of the new few weeks, I will highlight each of the six ministries/families of the Love with Abandon Project.  Up first is my dear friend, Christy.  I am absolutely blessed by her courage to share with you today.

Christy was one of the first people I told about the idea of the LWA Project.  She had stopped by my house, and we chatted about life, kids, her adoption progress, and my idea to launch this fundraiser.  She was so excited and encouraging, as her love for widows and orphans has always welled up and overflowed from her own life and adoption, to look for new channels to support and champion.  That was Friday.

The following Tuesday, her world was turned upside down.  That was less than 2 months ago. Watching her these past few weeks, I have often found myself in awe--yes, of her faith, but even more so--of the One she is clinging so desperately to, the One who sustains her. Her Anchor, Who has proven to hold fast in the fiercest of storms.  And I find myself drawn by her example to that Source of strength in my own life.  Here are her words for you.  I pray it blesses you as much as it blesses me.

When God began to burden my heart to help care for widows and orphans back in 2010, I had no idea that a few years down the road, I would be looking right in the mirror at a widow, and in the very next room of my home, at fatherless children.  Back then, I felt a dramatic urge to jump in to orphan care with both feet, wanting to let Him use me to bring hope to people worlds away from my own.  His timing seemed slow to me, but I was convinced that it was right.  After becoming involved in various orphan care ministries, my wonderful husband Bryan and I knew it was the right time to begin our own family journey to adopt a little girl from Ethiopia.  All of our paperwork was completed and sent over there in July 2012. 

    Oh, how my heart began to care for our future daughter as the months went by, even though we knew nothing about her, we would probably still have quite a wait ahead of us, and nothing is guaranteed with adoption.  Our children began praying for their little sister almost every night.  The Lord was blessing us with good health and bringing in all of the necessary funds needed to accept a referral when the time came.   All of the pieces seemed to be fitting in place to open our home and our arms to a little girl in need of a family’s love.

    And then February 26 of this year hit, when my amazing husband unexpectedly went to be with Jesus, and life, as we knew it, seemed to crumble underneath us.  Adoption, along with other things that are close to my heart, now began to seem like dead end dreams.  And yet, I’ve had to choose to believe that they cannot be as they currently seem, for I know God never wastes our passion or our pain.  So here I sit, humbled and feeling a bit helpless to be among the widows, accepting the help, when I wanted to be the one giving the help to other widows.  I head to the mailbox each day and open card after card offering hope to my now fatherless children, reminding us that our Heavenly Father cares more about us than we will ever know this side of Heaven, and that we are never forgotten by Him.

    There is so much that hurts, and that I don’t understand about our current situation, and about my Savior.  What I do know, though, is that He is caring for us, and He is using others around us to show His love as we begin this difficult trek down a rough road.  The kids and I are being held in the palm of His hand as we walk through our days on this earth, and my sweet Bryan is now being physically embraced in His arms as he takes in the amazing wonder of Heaven.  Eternity is real, and the hope of it gets me out of bed each morning.  Our family, though small amidst a world of needs and pain, has a story that He will continue to write.  I have no idea what the future holds and can tend to become fearful and overwhelmed when I look too far ahead.  But I know my Savior has got me today, and I have to remind myself, sometimes moment by moment, just to rest in that reassuring and everlasting truth. 

“The Lord…upholds the widow and the fatherless…” Psalm 146:9

If you would like to give directly to the Davis family for their needs in the midst of this great loss, you may donate directly via paypal to scrappycdavis@yahoo.com.

You can also follow Christy on her blog, and I'm looking forward to her sharing more there in the days and weeks to come.

You can also support the Davis family as well as the entire LWA Project by shopping the LWA shop here.

Read more about the LWA Project here. 48::48 continues!  Read & join in the giveaway here!!