Rest for my weary soul

I am so blessed.  I say that often and I don't mean it to be cliché....I truly, truly feel blessed.  The Lord has blessed us beyond measure.  Even during the battle, He has blessed us.  Actually....it's during the battle that I feel the most blessed. Why?  Well, because that's when I see Him do the most work!!!  When Danny and I are walking through the fire, that is when we can see the hand of the Lord God Almighty at work most in our lives.  I've looked back through the times when we has allowed us to walk around the fire and realize that we were not nearly as blessed as the times when we had to walk through the fire.  

This is no exception.  Adoption is not for those who want to walk around the fire.  It just isn't.  Especially if you are adopting from the same Eastern European Country that we are.  It is unbelievably hard.  It is challenging on my faith.  I have cried out many times to God "WHY Lord God....WHY?!?"  However, if I had to do it all over again......I wouldn't change a thing.  While it challenges my faith, it also strengthens my faith beyond what I would have possibly imagined!  I love seeing the Lord answer prayers.  Even when the answer is "no".  And we are never promised that we will find out why the Lord chooses to say no but when we do find out why.....oh, it is splendid!!!!!  We have had the joys in this adoption journey of hearing the Lord say "no" and then realizing later that His 'no' was very good!!!  Love when that happens!!!!

 

We have been waiting and waiting for a travel date.  The dossier process that started on August 1st has made me weary.  I am tired.  There are times when I am cranky.  I have cried many tears.  I have just felt the need for a nap and didn't wake for 3 hours.  When our dossier was submitted, I thought to myself, "whew....glad that's over.  Now, I can rest".  Ummmmm...yeah right!  Sometimes just the waiting part alone doesn't allow you to rest.  On top of that, all the things that must be done....especially as a business owner.  Oh my, the things we have had to do.  But....but....but....the hardest part.....has been the wait.  The unknown.  And now.....we know.  Now, I feel that I may have some rest for my weary soul!!  Of course, the only true rest for our weary souls is found in Christ!!!

So, the answer everyone has probably been waiting for......our SDA Appointment will be on November 19!!!!  We will be booking our airline ticket soon and should be leaving on Friday, November 16.  We will get to bring our kids home!!!!  We may not be home before Christmas but that matters not because we will still celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  Even if it means celebrating apart and then celebrating again once we reunite!  I will keep the blog updated while I am gone and will post lots of pictures.

The biggest issue between now and November 16th is the fact that we are still shy from being funded.  Will you prayerfully consider how you can help?  I have said it many, many times but I really hope that if you are reading this and thinking "but I don't have much to give"....that is OK!!  Every bit helps.  Every dollar.  Some can only give $20 and that is a stretch for them.  Others can give $100 and that is a stretch for them.  If you can give anything...anything at all, will you please give?  Please be in prayer and consider how you can help.  If you have already given.......THANK YOU!!!  

I don't care about your comfort

That just sounds so harsh and by all means, it might very well be.  That is, if you don't understand the context by which those words are written.  Our comfort is not guaranteed.  We see several examples of this in the bible as Christ followers were persecuted.  Paul was thrown in jail.  John the Baptist was beheaded.  Stephen was stoned.

However, the one thing that the Lord cares about is our character.  How will I react under pressure?  How will I react when others persecute me?  What will I do when nobody is around?

How does this all relate to adoption?  Well.....it does because my biggest concern when adopting children is how we can build their character.  I don't care to buy them lots of toys.  I don't care to take them on extravagant vacations.  As a matter of fact, even if we were to end up homeless and living in a homeless shelter....they will have more than they do now!  I want to train my children up in the way of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6)....I want them to grow up to be men and women on fire for God.  I want them to care more about how they can live for God than to worry about what college they will attend.

We have one precious child living at home with us right now.  He has grown up so far to be a child with great character.  He wants to do what is right.  He wants others around him to do what is right.  He chooses to make the right decisions and is even learning to make tough decisions that are unpopular because he knows they are the right decisions.  One example is recently his friends were talking about girls and dating.  He spoke up and said, "I won't date until I am at least 18 years old and then it will only be to find my wife".  He said that to his peers....without even thinking about what they would think of him.  I care what his peers think of him because I love him and I do not want him to be teased, like I was growing up.  However, on the other hand, I really don't care what his peers think about him because all that matters in the end is what God thinks about him. 

We have two precious children in an Eastern European Country that we want to bring home and raise up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).  We want them to Love the Lord their God with all their heart, all their soul, all their strength and all their mind (Luke 10:27).  That is the most important.  They are in an orphanage where the popular thing to do is to pick on the younger children.  To tease them.  To beat them up.  To smoke.  To have sex.  The easiest thing to do in this situation is for them to "fit in" to avoid the consequences of being teased and more importantly to avoid being beat up.  However, as much as I do not want those things to happen to my children, choosing the narrow road and saying "no" to teasing others, sex and smoking is the right decision....even if in the end it means that they might not be so popular!  So, my dear children......I don't care about your comfort.  I care about your character.  I care about your eternity. This is all because I love you.  Because God Loves you!