Obedience Enabling Obedience

God continues to amaze me.
Like, really amaze me.

For a few months now Kenneth and I have really been thinking about adding other children to our family.  Neither of us feel like we are "done."  But we also don't really know what that looks like.  Adoption, again?  Foster care?  God hasn't given us a clear answer, and He might not for a while.  Trust me, I am okay with that.  We just want to be open, and we can't say that we feel like our four boys are "it" for us.  In the midst of that, we have been praying about sponsoring another child in Africa. 

Let me say that it is ALWAYS God's will that we care for widows and orphans.  He clearly commands that in His Word.  James 1:27, among others.  If you say you are a believer in Jesus, it is your responsibility to care for the widow and orphan.  No exceptions.  It just looks different in each family.  For us, we were praying and asking God if sponsoring another child is what we should do, and how we should do it.  We sponsor a girl in Kenya, and to be totally transparent, it would be difficult to take on another.

So, two weeks ago I prayed, "Lord, if you would have us to sponsor another child, please provide the money.  I don't care how you do it.  Just provide and help me see your provision."

So the next day is when our washing machine broke (see last blog entry for that debacle).  Then we started asking God for wisdom to handle that situation.  During that time a friend of mine shared something with me that just blew.me.away.

She started to explain that for some reason God was telling her to give us a certain dollar amount.  She said she really struggled because she didn't want to be offensive to us.  But, then a situation came up and God made it very clear to her that she better be obedient and give the money to us anyway.  As she is explaining this, I am just laughing inside.  Because this is just like God.  To answer my prayer within two days, and then to also teach her and me in the process.  And I am thinking, "Wow.  There is a temptation in me to use that money to help soften the blow of replacing the washing machine.  But, I know exactly what God wants me to do with this money."

I quickly explained to her my prayer earlier in the week and what the money was for.  It amazes me to see how God puts something on one person's heart and then He works in another person's heart to make the thing in the first person a reality!   One person's obedience enables the obedience of another.  That is the Kingdom, alive and well!  Had she not been obedient to what God called her to do, we would not be able to carry out the task He called us to do.  I have seen this time and time again.  What an important lesson in being open to hearing God and following His command, even when it seems as strange as, "Give this person this amount of money." 

I am extremely blessed to have a husband and friends who have their lives fully on the altar before the Lord.  I love watching Him work in multiple lives to accomplish a purpose.  Whether it be sending missionaries, teaching a Bible study, enabling a family to adopt, or caring for an orphan across the globe.