Learning to Trust

Mark 9:23-25  "But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”"
 

This is where I am at today.  I have spent countless hours reading through the endless adoption blogs, studying the different agencies, soaking in as much information as I possibly can to be prepared for what is ahead.

Here is what I have learned about myself.  I like to have it all figured out.

And the problem is:  I can't.  This is not the type of thing that can be just figured out.  Especially not in a week. 

God is the one in control.

Trust.

This is a leap of faith that is taking trust to a whole new level.   It is going to take time, and God is going to reveal each step to us piece by piece.  And in the meantime- I pray that I can walk this journey with faith and trust.   He uses every circumstance in our lives to bring us closer to Him.  Nothing will ever even touch our life outside of His Sovereign plan and outside of His purpose.

As quickly as I say "Lord, I believe" I am confronted with my own disbelief.  I know the fears that run through my mind, the questions I so badly want answered- and I am reminded to pray, "Lord, please help my unbelief."  I want to be one who will trust in the Lord completely.  He has already worked miracles right before my own eyes, yet I still slip in doubt.  Why do I doubt?  He is the One who spoke the universe into motion!   That is the God I am serving!   "Lord, help my unbelief."


Ephesians 3: 14-21

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Why Adopt?

This is a question often asked when some hear of adoption-  the question of why?  Why adopt?   We have 3 beautiful children.  I stay at home full time.  My husband is a school teacher.  We are not prepared to just write a check to cover all the adoption fees and walk away.  And that is just the beginning- just getting our child here.  Once he/she is- there is the commitment to parent, nurture, love, and support him/her along with the 3 children God has already blessed us with.

It will take sacrifice, hard work, saving, fundraising, praying, and really- GOD working to provide for us in all that we need. 

However, inside the church and among the people of God, I rarely hear the question "why?"  For those who have accepted Jesus, we know why.  We know what Jesus did on our behalf.  And for every one of us in Christ, we know that each of us too were once an orphan, but we have been made a child of God.

Because of His great love, He sought us, fought for us, and He has promised to keep us. There is no sacrifice greater than the one Christ made on our behalf, and there is no greater picture of love than what He did to bring us back to Himself.

When speaking of adoption with those who have their faith firmly in Christ, what is most evident is a response filled with faith, trust, hope, and security in Christ. And the excitement to know and partake in something that is so close to God's heart.  As believers, we are commanded to care for the orphans.  This is an act of obedience, but also an act of joy.  In walking forward with adoption in our family, we are going to have the privilege and honor to see God move and work in the life of a precious child that He created in His image and for His purpose. 

Our closest friends and family have asked, "how can I help?"  In a few short days of sharing our desire to adopt, we have seen God move in the hearts of others to stand along us in this journey, and be actively involved. They know that we are all called to be defenders of the fatherless.  We are all called to love justice.  We are all called to show mercy.

This is about making an immeasurable difference in the life of a child.

This is not about ourselves.  This is not a work of ourselves.  We cannot boast.  We are not adopting because of who we are, we are adopting because of who God is.  This is part of His story.  He is moving our hearts, He is directing our steps, He is providing the way, He is establishing it, and He is enabling it in every way.  Nothing is out of His hands.  He already knows how he will bring restoration to the life of our child and place him/her in a family.  He already is working in their life.  He is a good and merciful God.

We are so thankful for everyone who stands with us in this!  It is SO exciting  :)

I cannot wait to see what is ahead!!

The Blogging Begins :)

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

God is so good!  His love and mercy exceeds all that we can ever imagine.  He has brought our family to a place where we know deep in our hearts that we are called, commissioned even,  to welcome a son or daughter into our lives through adoption.  

This is humbling!  We feel every sense of fear, worry, inadequacy, mixed with joy, celebration, trust, and peace.  We are placing our hope in our God- who knows no limitations- to meet our every need and equip us to bring our child out of life of abandonment, into a place where they are accepted, loved, and belong.  

"What better opportunity to model God who adopts from every tongue, tribe, nation, and language and sets all the children together at the same table with the same inheritance and same love?"                                              -Adopted for Life, Russell Moore

Our child is already a blessing to us, and is a picture of God's kindness toward us.  We are so excited to see God move in this!  When He acts, who can reverse it?

Please join our family in prayer and support with this!  We will be sharing through this blog to keep our family and friends informed of all that takes place.