GOD...in IKEA

I am so thankful when the Lord speaks to us. No, I haven't ever heard his voice, and I don't know anyone that has, but I am confident he speaks to me. This can come in many different forms-sometimes the awe of his vast creation,  His powerful, loving words in Scripture, that worship song that says exactly how you feel, or through the mouth of innocent children. Throughout this journey, God has definitely used amazing friends and family to comfort, encourage, and speak his words of grace and love to me. These people have been a reflection of the face of God for our family-and I am forever grateful for them.

One day though, God actually used the fantastically priced, home super-store IKEA to reach out to me. Unfortunately, we do not have an IKEA in Nashville, but Jonathon has had to go to Atlanta a couple of times this summer. Emory and I tag along so we can enjoy time as a family and take advantage of a good hotel swimming pool! This last time we went, I was having a rough week. When we got the call about Baby G, they thought it would take 2-3 weeks for our paperwork to come in. We were on week 5 and still no word. I was growing more anxious by the day.

We had done the thorough tour of IKEA and all of its ginormous self in our last trip to Atl, but they had been out of the one item I was looking for. I had seen these spice racks they sell used as book shelves that I really wanted, but apparently they go like hotcakes! I checked online and they were in stock this time! Don't worry that's not the God-thing I am writing about!

When we got all of our pics of baby G a lot of them had a baby doll beside him. It was like they wanted to give us something to compare him to for size purposes. That only works if you are familiar with the item it's being compared to!

Emory and I ran to IKEA for the sole purpose of getting these spice racks. We weren't looking for anything else, and she definitely wasn't in the mood for me to be browsing. But if you have ever been in IKEA you know you can't just run in and out! After we got our spice racks (wohoo) we were following the maze to get to the checkout, and we had to go through the children's section to do that. Emory's eyes lit up as she was taking in all the cool kids stuff they have and I was trying to rush through, when I saw the doll...THE DOLL. They have 4 or 5 stuffed dolls, and one of them was the doll from all of the pics with baby g! I thought I was either going to burst into tears or run through the aisles telling everyone!

Now ikea is all over the world, but NOT in Africa, and definitely not in Ethiopia! The same doll from a little orphanage in a tiny village in Ethiopia, was now right in front of me. To many this may seem silly, but I know the Lord was using this doll to reach out and comfort me that day. When you are in the position we are, you want so desperately to be connected to your child on the other side of the world in any way possible!

Of course we bought the doll! The African-American guy that checked us out, definitely gave me a funny look like-"you do know this is a black doll right?" But I didn't care, I was on cloud nine, amazed by our new discovery! When we bring the baby home, he'll have at least one familiar thing in his room!