I woke at 4am today to pray with Mark and Brycen before they left for the airport. They are on a team of 17 people from our church going to Nicaragua for 9 days. Brycen has successfully had his first flight from Knoxville to Atlanta this morning and thought to call his mom while he enjoyed his McDonald's biscuit! I am so excited for him and what God has in store for his heart this week as he plays and makes friends with the purpose of talking to children about Jesus (a responsibility he has taken very seriously). When I hugged him this morning I told him I would pray for him everyday and told him the next time I see him he won't be the same. Ever. He looked at me funny and I said, "God is going to use you to change the lives of others. When He does that, He always changes you, too." He smiled big and hugged me one last time. Isn't it just like our God to give us such a double blessing that when we pour our lives out into others He fills up to overflowing? Amazing. But, He is also the same God who is working all over the world. I talked to Brycen about this yesterday: that He can use the team in Nicaragua, use us at home, and still never miss a minute or detail of his sister's life in Ethiopia. He is the God who never sleeps or slumbers and the God who calls us His own once we have trusted his gift of Jesus as our only hope for salvation.
He calls us His own. He adopts us.
I briefly mentioned in a previous blog about a video Mark and I watched about adoption. On the video a man mentioned the fact that the love he has for his adopted children is in no way different than the love for his biological children. Not one ounce. And then he went on to make the correlation that God was clear in His word about His adopting us (Ephesians 1:5) with the assumption that as believers we would understand adoption personally (James 1:27). By understanding physical adoption personally, we understand our own adoption in Christ....therefore understanding, that when we are adopted into God's family He loves us just like He loves His very own son, Jesus. I don't know about you, but the mere thought of that overwhelms me. It often stops me in my tracks and brings me to tears. His love, His ways, His persistence towards us just never gets old.
So, now to our adoption. Our paperwork is in Ethiopia being translated (what kind of person has that much patience?). So, now we just wait. I recently bought a black shirt that simply reads in silver letters : adopting. still.
We have been so blessed with great support that I never get tired of people asking about where we are in our adoption process. It just feels monotonous to keep saying, "Still waiting." I figured I could easily put on the shirt and everyone knows we are, well, adopting. still. That being said, it draws me back to Jesus. When I think about our family growing through adoption, I can see an end in sight (even though I don't know an exact time line). Mark and I may eventually adopt again. But, the fact remains, one day our family will be complete. No more adopting. still.
The fact that God's family is never complete astounds me, but I am so grateful! What if He had declared His family "big enough" before I trusted Him? He is in the constant state of pursuing, drawing, fighting for souls, for more children. He sent Jesus so there would never be a stopping date (until we are all in our eternal state after His reign on earth). As I pray to the God who is global, limitless, timeless, and constant I am praying for the Nicaragua team who are sharing His love to those who do not know Him. This morning as I prayed I reached for my black shirt with silver letters and it hit me! The only reason we can pray and have any confidence and hope that others will find Him this week in Nicaragua is because He is...
Adopting. Still.
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