Guest Blog with Paige Winship Dooly

I had a great time writing The Displaced Belle. The book was very timely, but I’ll explain why in tomorrow’s post. Today I want to talk about two other Southern Belles who have blessed our lives.

I’ve always been fascinated with both writing and adoption. From the time I could hold a pencil in my hand, I wrote stories about large families. My husband wasn’t as enthusiastic to add to our full quiver—we already had six children—but a few years ago he not only agreed we could adopt, he said we could adopt not one but two baby girls! I was so excited that he’d been open to God’s leading and also I was amazed at how God brought it all about. Only after I stopped pushing the issue and handed it over to God did my husband get the same prodding I’d had all my life.

We started researching Guatemalan adoption, but the country closed their program before we could get started. We switched our focus to China, but that program went from a six month wait to a several year wait.

I was so disappointed that God had finally brought my husband to the point where he said we could adopt, only to have the countries we had agreed upon change or close their programs! I wondered why God closed the door to something that had been so important to me for so many years. I truly felt it was a God-given dream. Had I heard Him wrong? I ranted. I questioned God. I wasn’t very patient.

Fast-forward two years and we now have 2 two-year-old granddaughters in our care. We enjoy them so much! God knew exactly how two precious little girls were going to enter our lives. He put the desire there and as usual, when I tried to make it happen, He smiled and worked things around to His perfectly-timed plan. It wasn’t the way we’d expected, but it’s just as wonderful.

I’d love to hear how similar situations have affected your lives. Have you ever felt you had things all figured out, just to have a kink go in those plans? How has God twisted those broken dreams into something beautiful and just as perfect? Usually His plan is better than anything we can imagine. I’ll tell about how God took our experience, the desires of my heart, pressed them down and overflowed them in tomorrow’s post.

I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of Paige's story tomorrow. In the mean time, feel free to answer her questions. And my question is do you have twins in your immediate or extended family?