1. There wasn't much to report on. It seems that adoption is a process of hurry, hurry, hurry, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, then wait. We are sitting in the waiting period. All of our paperwork is in, our court date is set and we are just waiting to leave. Thankfully the wait is almost over. We leave for Jamaica this weekend to take a few of our youth to work with the deaf there. When we return, we have 9 days before we board a flight for England and then on to Uganda! I cannot express my excitement over getting to meet my boys and spend a whole month with them before bringing them home!
2. I have to admit that I was in a period of doubting and sadness. Who wants to listen to me complain when I know I have so much? I was struggling with the fact that I couldn't decorate the boys' room because there was no furniture and the floors haven't been fixed since the water damage. I was overwhelmed by the fact that we have less than 2 weeks in the country and have no more fundraisers planned to get that last bit of money needed for return flights.
However, I am so thankful that God loves me even when I'm being a stick in the mud and doubting His timing and goodness. This past Sunday, our sermon was on 1 Kings 17. It is about Elijah and since our son will be named Elijah I paid extra close attention. :-) Here's a small part of what was read:
2 And the word of the Lord came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.Do you know what I realized from that passage? In all my complaining and doubting I forgot that God promises to give us only what we need for THAT day. He doesn't need to give us everything at once...he can but he doesn't have to. He sometimes chooses to give us only that day's portion, usually for our own good. That is what he has been doing in my life over the last month or so. He is giving me just enough to get me through and force me to continue to depend on him. Like Elijah, I have my food and water for today and that should be enough to get me to tomorrow.
We may not have all the money we need for return flights but we have some of it. And God has placed us in a country where we can take out interest free credit cards. We will put the remaining balance on a credit card and pay it off as we are able over the next 18 months. Each day someone gives us a little more toward the adoption and perhaps in the next two weeks God will do amazing things to provide the rest of the money but if he doesn't it will be ok too.
Since Sunday's sermon, I have been blessed with a surprise package full of clothes for the boys. (A friend's mother told her Bible study to pray for us and our need for some material items and next thing I know we have a plethora of clothes from that Bible study in Kentucky.) I've also been told another package of clothes is on the way from some other friends in Nashville. Yesterday, we received both of the car seats we still needed from a few friends from Florida. We also have lined up getting bunk beds when we get back from Jamaica and we bought two mattresses today (pillowtop mattresses was what the discount store had so the boys shall sleep in a little bit of heaven). In less than a week, God provided all those material items I had been worried about and I feel blessed beyond measure. He also gave me two days this week with little on my plate so I could clean the house, hang stuff on the walls, and sort and organize the boys' room. I feel a little more ready for them to come.
God has proven Himself faithful time and time again so why is it so easy for me to become discouraged and doubt? God hasn't changed. My fleshly body is weak and, like the Israelites, I quickly forget all that God has done for me in the past and just focus on what I have to overcome ahead of me. I wish I could say that I have learned my lesson for good this time but sadly I know that this will not be the last time I will doubt. I am ever so thankful that God knows me better than anyone and is still willing to give me grace when I'm not perfect. I don't have to be perfect because Jesus was perfect for me and that is a huge relief.
Tomorrow we leave for Jamaica and I am bursting with excitement to see what He is going to do in the lives of our youth. At first, I thought we were a bit nuts to have this trip so close to going to Africa (we booked it years ago so it wasn't really our fault for planning them so close together) but now I think it was another example of God's goodness to us...right before we go to Africa we are being given a week to take a step out of our busy lives and spend a little time serving others at a slower pace of life. We will get to reconnect with friends and I'll get to work on my sign language skills. I love to worship with the deaf using my my ears, my voice and my body, through sign language, to praise Him. God knows that about me and has given me that opportunity. We will get to spend a lot of time with Him and reflect on all the changes that are coming and all that He has done to get us there. God is good. All the time.
Stay tuned for updates from Jamaica. :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment