People keep asking how I came up with the Puzzle Piece Fundraiser.  Well, I totally stole the idea from other adoptive parents who used it to raise 1/3rd of the cost of adoption.  There’s nothing original about it.

Last February, I went to a women’s conference at a church in Georgetown.  I went because Christine Caine was speaking and I dig her.  I think God put it on my heart to go because it was there that I met the founders of my adoption agency.  I knew that agency would be the one I used when the time came.  During that conference, my Savior whispered to my heart, “Will you choose to trust me?”  I had stopped trusting him 8 years earlier when I prosecuted the most horrendous child sexual abuse case of my career.  How could I trust a God that would allow that to happen?  Now, 8 years later in Feb 2015, He was asking if I would choose to trust Him again.  I wasn’t yet planning to start the adoption process this year at the time.  I told Him I would do my best.  Turns out, that’s all He asks of any of us.

Fast forward and 6 months later, I began pursuing adoption in earnest.  It surprised even me when this journey became real rather than a silent wish.  I felt it was time.  I felt like even God was telling me it was time.  I felt like He was ready to bless me with a child.  So, I signed up with the agency and started the fundraiser.  My home study is next month.

The last few days I’ve begun to realize that on this road towards adoption and then on the road of parenthood, I’m going to have to let go of my perfectionism, my plans, and my control.  This is in God’s hands alone.  I can do my part, but in the end the failure or success of this journey rests on Him alone.  Part of this journey of trust is letting go of the minimum donation for a puzzle piece.  See, $25 per piece minus the 8% Go Fund Me keeps would equal 1/3rd of the cost of adoption.  I’m a planner and I did that because I’m hoping to win another 1/3rd in grants and pay the last 1/3rd myself.  But I’m letting go…

You may donate any amount you want and become part of our puzzle and our story.  Your encouragement and prayers already make you a part of our story and your name deserves to be on our wall.  If you have an extra $10 laying around and you want to donate it, do it and you will get a puzzle piece.  If next week you have $5 more laying around and you want another piece, you got it!  If you want to donate more than $25 at one time, you will still get more than one piece!  It’ll go like this:  $1-$25 = 1 piece, $26-$50 = 2 pieces, $51-$75 = 3 pieces, and so on…

This way, you don’t feel pressured to give a certain amount.  It won’t adversely impact your budget because any amount receives a place on our wall and in our hearts.  You can give as many times as you want and as little or as much as you want.  I’m just going to trust Jesus to move the right hearts at the right time.  It’s out of my control and it’s in His hands.  Besides, if the fundraiser raises 1/8th of the cost instead of 1/3rd, then we still will have made a major accomplishment together!  What’s most important to me is that anyone who wants to participate, gets to participate and that my baby’s wall is filled with names full of love.

I’ve decided to trust Jesus.

www.gofundme.com/babyforBethany