It’s out of God’s compassion and mercy for us that we are not only spared but made His treasured possession. That is great news and so before I begin writing today, with thanksgiving, I want to give God all praise, glory, and honor.
We are discovering in a personal way that when God places a desire in our hearts, the longing to see that desire fulfilled becomes consuming and fills us with an intense drive that goes beyond our own abilities and ultimately leaves us on our knees in prayer. We know adoption brings the Lord pleasure as it is through a spiritual adoption He calls us His own children and we call Him “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). God has opened up so many doors giving us the possibility to adopt a child from Haiti. But we know there are many more acts of God that must transpire for this to become reality. God has set before us this race to run and we are learning that in order to run this race with perseverance rather than anxiety, it requires full dependence on the Holy Spirit.
I truly believe one of God’s ordained purposes for placing my family in this position to adopt is to increase our faith and dependence on Him. I can tell you, I have definitely been stretched further spiritually and although it’s been difficult at times, I have never felt closer to my Lord’s heart. God has removed blinders from our eyes and has given us compassion for the children who have no families to love them. Through this time, we have depended on the power of prayer like never before. To put yourself in a place where God takes your heart and transforms it to the point of aching on behalf of the orphans which in turn creates us to move on behalf of the orphans is to experience what compassion really is. As I read through the accounts of Jesus having compassion for people, it was always the combination of sorrow for people and then he moved. He followed his feelings of compassion with actions to relieve them from their distress. “Jesus had compassion on them and he healed their sick. Jesus had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, so he began teaching them many things. Jesus had compassion on them and he fed them.” When Jesus had compassion, he took on the suffering of those in need and carried their burdens. I believe if we have that type of compassion, the kind that places our hearts fully exposed to take on the suffering of the helpless, we then have no other choice but to act. Their suffering is now our suffering and we all know in the midst of our own suffering we desire immediate relief. So as I write this today, I have more clarity of experiencing compassion. My heart is heavy with pain knowing there are defenseless orphans all around the world. Knowing there are orphans in Haiti right now who are ready to be adopted by families but are being held in bondage because of the red tape. Knowing the pain of a child who is helpless with no mother or father to depend on as I sit here, with intense “labor pains,” longing for this child to call me, Mommy. The feelings of compassion are heavy and real and so our response, our action, is to adopt. God will have to make this happen and shine through strong in our weaknesses and when He does, all will see He is mighty to save!
The paper work of course has it’s place and we will work diligently with God’s help to get every thing done that needs to be done. But, above all the paper work, it has been through our prayers and your prayers that have brought us to the place we are right now. And in the end, it will be seen that it’s our dependence on God alone, through prayer, in every single step of this process that will result in the rescue of the orphans. The child God brings to us will know that everything they see around them is a reflection of God’s love for them.
Will you persevere with us in prayer? “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” (Jude 1:20)
In Luke 18, “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ‘And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.’”
God we remember your glory and power and know you are a father to the fatherless and it is you, God, who sets the lonely in families. Move your mighty hand and set the lonely Haitian orphans in our families. Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. Our God is a God who saves; from the sovereign LORD comes escape from death. Praise be to God! In the Name above all names, Jesus Christ, Amen!
To my child: Hello, sweet one! We are waiting in expectation to see God bring you to our family. God has been preparing our hearts with abundant love for you! We so desperately wish you were here already. You have a Mommy and Daddy who already thinks the world of you. You also have a sister and two brothers who are praying every day with child-like faith that you will become their sibling quickly. We have a place for you in our family and we cannot wait to see you fill it. I love you sweetheart!
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