Introducing Another Samuel

I love never knowing what God is going to bring up next. Like a few weeks ago when I sat down to write out a post that had been on my mind called Turning Compassion Into Action. I haven’t posted it yet, but had started chipping away at writing it. In one part I was talking about opportunities that God gives us to turn our compassionate feelings into action. And, I had written a few sentences about how those opportunities might not just be over in far off countries. They might be right outside our front door, in our neighborhood, local communities, work place, etc.

Little did I know that in a few days God was going to give me the opportunity to test out my post, and practice my own preach.

Introducing, Samuel AKA Sam…..
Sam is from Des Moines, and a few weeks ago Jake and I became the guardians for Sam. We have not adopted Sam, nor do we have surety of how long he will be able to stay with us. We have every intention that our home will become a permanent situation for him, and we have been praying for this earnestly. Sam has been with us for the past few weeks.

I totally did not see this one coming, but you know what? I am starting to love it. To God, nothing is random, or unpredictable, or happening by chance. He’s got everything already planned out perfectly. This shoots adrenaline into my veins. Each day is exciting. Who knows what could come up next? In our relationship with Him, there is never a dull moment. I love it that He gives us opportunities to live out our commitment to Him. I love it that our family is becoming multi-cultural and multi-colorful by the day! I love it that God is teaching me that love not only lives in the boundaries of flesh and blood but that it can also extend outside those boundaries, to fully embrace those we call family but who share no genes with us. I love that my flesh and blood children are getting a picture of God’s love for us….that we are all adopted as His sons and daughters into His family, though we didn’t deserve it. I love learning new ways to love.

God is giving us a lot. And, there is nothing special about us. We don’t have our ‘stuff’ together more than anyone else down the street. We are not even close. We are still learning and changing and being molded. But, this is what I have learned. When God asks you to do something, your answer is either yes or no. If you wait to say yes until you 'feel' ready or until you 'have it all together’ or until the time seems just right, or until life gets a little less crazier or until you feel like your parenting skills are a little more honed up, or until you have a little more money in your account or until the situation looks a little more like what you had planned for your life or until, until, until…..then there will always be something that you are waiting for. There will always be something in your mind that can make life a little more ready for a change like this. ‘Let’s wait until we finish the basement.’ ‘Let’s wait until our kids our older.’ ‘Let’s wait until next year and see if you get that new job.’ Let’s wait until ______. Just fill in the blank.

The cool thing is that you don’t have to be a spectacular person to say yes. God has long been in the business of using ordinary people to carry out His work. Just take a trip through the Bible. It is evident. Who knew that a repentant prostitute would get to be in the lineage of Christ? Or that a Moabite woman would have an entire book in the Bible written about her? Or that a persecutor of Christians would end up becoming the man who Jesus chose to help advance His church and write numerous books found in our Bible? Or that a simple carpenter would get the honor of being Jesus’ earthly father. Do you think that Mary 'felt ready' to be the mother to Jesus, the King and Savior of the world? Do you think she had planned on that? Although she was unusure of the circumstances surrounding this future birth (Luke 1:34) she said YES to God (Luke 1:38). There are so many examples of this in scripture. 7 years ago, Jake and I were both living for ourselves, far from a life that would seek to follow after the one true God. But, from the day that we believed in the name of God’s one and only son, and trusted him to be our Savior, God has been transforming us from the inside out as we take steps of obedience. God is making good on his promise to us that we have new lives in Christ. The old has gone. The new has come. The changes in our lives have come only by the power of God.

The arrival of Sam has also really opened my eyes to the awesome ministry that God has begun to set up for Jake and I over the past few years. And, that ministry is to help youth. I can see how God prepared Jake for this ever since high school. It’s like God has been equipping Jake year after year, and now the opportunities are coming like a flood.

God’s word says: From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48) I will not be taking my job of a mother to (what will soon be) 4 kids (plus 1 pretty self-sufficient teenager) lightly. I understand fully the weight of this. But, I also understand fully the weight of this scripture: Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' These verses make it pretty blatantly clear that God is going to give us opportunities to live this out. Do we really need more motivation to help those in need than just the simple idea of obeying God when these opportunities arise? At church a few Sundays ago our pastor told us that before we even open up God’s word, we should already say ‘yes’. Our attitude before we even read one single verse should be ‘Yes, Lord. I’ll do it. Whatever call I get from you today, I will answer it.’

YES, LORD! They are beautiful words, aren’t they?!?!

Well, now there is only one thing missing…..and that is our other Samuel. My heart just aches to have him here with us, to have him be involved in all of this excitement. And, if you are wondering, yes, I think it is crazy that we now have two Samuels! From now on I will consistently refer to new Samuel as ‘Sam’, and our Africa Samuel will continue to be known as Samuel. Got it? :)