My Witness Chapter VI – Putting it on the Line

Romans 4:3

For what does the Scripture say? “ Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Not more than a couple weeks after that trip to Babies ‘R’ Us; we were in our regular Wednesday RCIA class when the team leader gave everyone a question to ponder. This was how we started our session each week. Break into small groups, ponder the question and talk amongst ourselves. This week’s question? “When have you put it on the line for Jesus?”

Hmmm…well there was this one time….nah.

Oh, how about when this happened…no that doesn’t work.

Yeah, I got it! Back when….ok I got nuthin’.

Can you believe that?

Laying it on the Line

30 some odd years of life and I’d never put it on the line for Jesus – not once. Well there was the fact that I’d showed up. A guy who used to call himself an atheist was now becoming Catholic. That’s as good an example of “putting it on the line” for Jesus as you’ll find. Of course I was taking my attendance for granted the whole time and thinking about more grandiose expressions of faith. You know, nothing short of martyrdom.

Now I didn’t leave class that night saying to myself, “Ok, I need to go put it on the line for Jesus RIGHT NOW!!!” In fact, when I opened my laptop to check my email after getting home from church I didn’t even realize that what I would do next was my response to the Lord’s challenge.

In my inbox was an adoption situation from that mailing list in Southern OH. The baby had been born at noon that day, January 31^st 2007, in a small town hospital in West Virginia. I didn’t think – I just acted.

“Jenny! Did you see this situation?”

Into the Unknown – By Faith

She had seen it – before class – but she wasn’t expecting me to comment on it. But I did and we quickly agreed that this could be the one so we set the plan into motion. Thursday was a whirlwind of activity – exchanging emails, activating lines of credit, arranging wire transfers – WOW!!! It was actually a race against the clock because the agency told us there were others interested. Our money had to get there first or another couple would be chosen.

By Friday at noon, we were in the car and headed south. Felt like a journey into the unknown – we weren’t given the exact location until the agency had confirmed the funds arrived in their account. By 6pm, not only did we have a destination but we were there and holding our son who, by West Virginia law, had already received a name from his birthmother – Alan Jesus.

How’s that for putting it on the line?

The first time I held him, my sobs were deeper than any I’d ever experienced. Almost incoherently I mumbled to Jennifer, “He’s so beautiful.”

The passage of time led us to finally understand what had happened. The Holy Spirit was in charge that Wednesday night. Our faith combined with a little bit of action brought us the love of our lives.

The rest of the story…

Chapter V – Transformation Beginning

Chapter IV – A Rebuilding Year

Chapter III – Adventures in Infertility

Chapter II – Marriage and Moving

Chapter I – My Witness Begins

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