No Change in His Plan, but a Change in Ours

Thank you to those of you who prayed for us as we received the news about the future of adoptions in Ethiopia.  We truly felt your prayers and God provided the wisdom we had asked for almost instantaneously. 

Within days of posting our last update, God confirmed in our hearts what He wanted our next steps to be.  Not even three days later, we had a peace that is beyond understanding.  Only Christ can infiltrate the heart and give the peace that we received.  Only He can give such comfort and knowledge of His will.  To be honest, I was a little shocked about how quickly He revealed our next steps.  I know that He answers prayers, but I did not expect to go from having no idea to being completely sure in such a short amount of time, over such a big decision, with so many unknowns.

I thought that we would wait to hear an official statement from Ethiopia and then we would have more facts and then we could proceed.  Then we could really start making tough decisions, if they needed to be made.  It just made sense. 

That was human logic. 

Many times God does want us to be logical—He did give us a brain and we should use it.  He instructs us to count the cost.  There are obvious decisions that we make every single day and it would be quite foolish to throw all logic aside and wait for a burning bush.

But other times, it is as if there is a burning bush.

He works outside of logic, too.

Sometimes God so clearly speaks to us, and it does not have to “make sense.”  The more we know Him, the more familiar we are with His voice, and the more confident we are when we hear Him speaking.  His sheep know His voice.  So when He tells us something that is really crazy and makes no sense to the world (like adopt child #5, for example), we just obey.  We defy logic and obey because we know that obedience is the only thing that really makes sense after all.

In this case, God did not wait for us to have all the pieces of information so that we could make an “informed” decision.  Rather, He quickly and gently said, “I have something else for you.” 

We have waited for over three weeks and we still do not have an official word from Ethiopia, but we know our next steps, regardless. 

With heavy hearts we informed our agency that we would no longer be pursuing an adoption from Ethiopia.  I cannot adequately convey the sadness this brings us.  We love Africa and have such a heart for the people there.  It thrilled us to think of bringing home a daughter from a place that has so deeply touched us.  A place that we cannot stop thinking about.  The place where two of my sons were born. 

I have this image in my head of what I thought our daughter would be like.  And it will not happen, at least not right now, and maybe never.  It feels a little like a death has happened. 

God has allowed us to feel this pain, but we are not grieving without hope. 

God has not changed the adoption plan for our family.  He is slowly uncovering what His plan was all along. 

Beginning this adoption journey in Ethiopia was a necessary step in the process.  It was not a mistake.  We are seeing even now that all of this was orchestrated in perfect timing to bring us to where He wants us. 

I will save the details of how amazing this revelation has been.  How “random” pieces are fitting together.  All the things that were not in place when this journey began, but that are happening now.  Countries being opened, relationships being forged, new works being pondered, and on and on and on.

All of this so wonderfully orchestrated by our loving Heavenly Father to show us that our daughter is probably waking up each morning somewhere in

 

India.

The Kiss of Death? Or Life?

Lord willing, Kenneth will be preaching on worry this coming Sunday.  And in typical fashion, God always envelops us with these lessons when we most need them.  Kenneth said he knew something was coming, and thus, it has.  It rings true that what we teach/preach on is the lesson we need most for ourselves. 

We heard some very discouraging news after Christmas.  There is talk that Ethiopia could totally close adoptions.  Click the following link for the news story.  http://allafrica.com/stories/201312260586.html/

Unfortunately, there are so many more questions than definite answers at this point.  We hope to hear more in the next few weeks, but for right now, all we can do is wait to see what happens. 

The in-country representative for our adoption agency has confirmed that whether Ethiopia closes or not, they definitely plan to reduce adoptions in 2014.  They have been reducing adoptions since 2010 (the same year we brought Aiden and Asa home), and the plan is to reduce even more, if not totally stop all foreign adoption from Ethiopia.

We have also heard that orphanages are closing.  We have heard that it is unlikely that very many children will become paper-ready to be adopted.  This means that although there are many many orphans, they will not have the opportunity to be adopted by anyone outside of Ethiopia.  It is heart wrenching to know the amount of children who need families and may never have one.  It is painful to think about what happens to these children when they are not adopted into loving homes. 

Here is what we do not know:

-A LOT.  To name a few things:

-If we will be able to adopt from Ethiopia.

-When we will know anything definite.

-How long this process will take, if it continues at all.

-How much more God will need to provide if we do have to switch countries.  This would mean a loss of some, if not all, fees we have already paid.  

Here is what we do know:

-This was no surprise to God.  He is still in sovereign control. (Ephesians 1:11)

-Jesus Christ is still holding all things together. (Colossians 1:17)

-God is working all of this together for our good, to conform us into the image of Christ. (Romans 8:28-29).

-God will provide. (Philippians 4:19)

-Things happen on His timetable.  Not ours.  He knows the right time. (Romans 5:6)

-We need a lot of wisdom. 

We are currently pleading with you to pray for the adoption process in Ethiopia.  Pray that adoptions will continue and that the many orphans will know the joy and love of a forever family.  Also pray that God will shower us with His wisdom.  He asks us to ask Him for it, and He promises to give it to us.  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).  We are praying in faith, knowing that God will supply us with His wisdom!  Will you join us?

The Lord led me to this passage today.  Paul was writing to the church at Corinth and said, “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.  But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.  On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.  You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many” (II Corinthians 1:9-11).

I just know that although this feels like a kiss of death, God will bring life to us!  We set our hope on Him.  And as we all pray together, even more thanksgiving will be offered to God when we see the pieces come together.  You see that?  Through this situation, God is going to get even more glory!!!  AMEN.  Isn’t He good?!!

Lastly, I want to share something with you.  Can I just tell you how thankful I am that we don’t have to worry about this situation?  It is so freeing to not have to worry.  I have tears in my eyes (and for those that know me well, you know what a big deal that is), just thinking about how amazing our heavenly Father truly is.  I am so thankful for Him.  So thankful for His grace.  So thankful that He called me.  So thankful that He is my constant protector and the shield about me.  So thankful that He loves me and reveals Himself to me.  I did nothing to deserve that.  Yet, He continually showers me with His riches in Christ Jesus.

Among the big lessons that God has been teaching me over the last several months, one is His sovereignty and the other is worry.  I love reading Matthew 6 and seeing that GOD KNOWS.  I do not have to worry about this adoption because I have a sovereign heavenly Father who has ordained this trial and I am confident of His promise that He is working it together to conform me into the image of Christ.  He knows the beginning, the middle and the end of our adoption story.  He knows who our daughter is, and He knows where she is.  Ethiopia?  India?  China?  He knows.  Why worry when the Creator of the universe has it under control and wants the best for me?  He will reveal His plan in His time.  We must simply ask for His wisdom and obey accordingly.

Please do not misunderstand this as passivity. 

It certainly is not. 

As we are trusting in Him, we are praying and seeking His wisdom.  We are looking into other options. 

We are not sitting in idleness. 

But we are standing in confidence in our God.  He is mighty!