Then Jake parted with his business partner and started his own basketball program/business.
Then we started the adoption process and watched our savings account go out the window.
Then we added a host student to our family.
Then we added Sam to our family.
Then one host student left and we added another.
Then we put our house up for sale.
Then our adoption finished out and Justice was here.
Somewhere in that jumble of events my bubble was
But through all of that, something wonderful happened. As hard as the last year was, as I reflect on all that God did in our lives through bringing outsiders in and making them part of our family, I can only smile and cry tears of joy. I can now see the pure growth that God did in me through that time. Last week I recalled when I blogged this. Most of the time it really did feel like I was running and not getting anywhere! But in my case, this ended up being a good type of getting no where. Because God had to teach me to give up control over my life. God had to wean me away from depending on my own means of gaining security, control, and stability in order for me to find that my security can only rest in Him alone. In Francis Chan’s book The Forgotten God he says this: From my own experience, I have felt closest to God when nearness to Him was a necessity. He goes on to say And like our Savior, who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and acts in and through us in ways that on our own we are not capable of.
The most alive. Yes, that’s how I feel about the last year. Physically I was exhausted. Mentally I often couldn’t even grasp what was going on most days. But spiritually, I was growing because I was forced to depend on God, moment by moment. And as many times as I desired to have my sense of control back, there was something so thrilling and peaceful about allowing God to write the story of my life instead of me. It’s funny how money, time and stability fade in value when you experience the fullness of investing in a human life. And funny how the values I wanted to teach my kids have been expressed and modeled better in a chaotic and sacrificial life than the stable and comfortable one I had longed to set up for them even before they were born.
The other day before Sam & Peprah had gone someone said to me, “I don’t know how you do it…keeping track of all these kids.” Immediately what came out of my mouth was “I don’t know either!” But I do know. Through the Holy Spirit, God has supernaturally given me the ability to serve the people that He has placed in my life. I wish I would have told that lady that it really has nothing to do with me and my ability. But it has everything to do with God’s power alive in me and working through me. I was not capable of doing any of those things on my own. I had to depend on God for everything. And I’ve grown closer to Him because of it. It seems that chapter in our life has closed now. But my heart is now OPEN to serving my God in this way….a year ago it wasn’t. And that’s what makes me cry out to God each morning in prayer saying “That was such a hard time in my life, but DO IT AGAIN LORD! DO IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!” :)
2 comments:
beautiful.. simply beautiful
Janel,
I am crying as I read your blog today. Just last night, after running kids every which way, trying to help with high school homework I can't fathom, and having one of those trips to the bank and grocery store...I just felt so overwhelmed. Reading your blog today was like, "WOW...I am not alone in this!" I know we are never alone...God is with us...and it is HE who will provide...every need...by His account. At the end of my "therapy/prayer" session with Doug, I said, "But you know, I wouldn't want anything to change. I don't want to stop giving." LOVE YOU GUYS!
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