now that's what i call an answered prayer

UPDATE: compassion has the direct link to the addis ababa, ethiopia CSP up and running now.  click the link above to go directly there.

ORIGINAL POST:
on friday when we got the phone call that judah had died that morning, the forceful weight of grief came crushing down on us.  and i didn't just do the weeping thing.  i did the lay-on-the-floor-in-a-fetal-position-sobbing-so-hard-that-i-could-barely-breathe thing.

it wasn't pretty.

but as i mentioned in this post, i just couldn't escape that still, quiet voice that kept reminding me of the very purpose for which we had named our precious baby.  judah - "to praise".  i suppose it's one of the mysteries of the LORD, but josh and i felt that judah's death could wreck our hearts while simultaneously provide us with a beautiful opportunity to praise GOD for his goodness, mercy, and love.  through the pain, we clung desperately to isaiah 55:8-11:

"for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.  "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what i desire and achieve the purpose for which i sent it."

we knew that GOD had a larger purpose in what was happening -- we just didn't know what it was, and we surely didn't know how to get there.  so we prayed...

we prayed for the LORD to extend judah's influence far beyond the six weeks he lived on earth.  we asked him to give us clear direction on how we should move ahead.  but most importantly, we prayed that through his grace, we could affect significant change in judah's name -- for GOD's glory. 

now fast-forward to monday night.  i sat down at my computer knowing i wanted to write something in regards to the realities of poverty and its effect on the world's tiniest people, but i was kind of clueluess as to where to start.  so again, i prayed and asked GOD to make my post all about his message.  and it kind of flowed freely from there.  but as i pushed the "publish" button, i made one more request. 

"please multiply the reach and the effect of this message."

well, my friends, i'm enormously thrilled and humbled to share with you that since last night, the hope of judah's life and death has reached more people than i could have ever imagined by way of almost 1,400 hits on this blog.  WHAT?!?  i've gotten facebook messages, calls, and emails from people throughout the united states today, many of whom shared that this is the first time that the terrible sting of poverty has been a reality in their lives.

people are hurting for these babies -- and they're taking action.

but the good news doesn't stop there!!  a representative from compassion international contacted us this afternoon with this incredible message:

"we're working right now to see if we can choose one CSP center and provide a direct weblink for you to put on your blog. in the meantime, we’ve also alerted sponsor donor services to flag any CSP donations that have special comments with your family’s name/reference."

ok, that just gives me chills.  god is so faithful and good.  thank you so very much for helping to spread the word up to this point -- but don't stop now!!  please keep linking, posting, and tweeting about judah -- and learn more about how your one-time or monthly donation can change the lives of mothers and babies by clicking HERE to visit compassion international's child survival program website.  and if you give, make sure to add judah's name to the special instructions section at the bottom of the donation page.

i can't wait to see what the short life of a six-week-old infant --combined with the magnificent power of an eternal LORD -- can achieve.