Grafted In

Through the experience in recent weeks and preparation for our son to come home, we've been reading materials on adoption. So many things have struck me in how you "tie the strings" with an adoptive child that I took for granted with our biological children. But as I read about these things, I realized just how much it parallels our journey with our Heavenly Father.

We're "grafted in" as Romans 11 talks about. We're adopted into His family. I'm seeing more and more the choices I have made along the journey is what our adopted children will need to do with us. I came to know the Lord in my late teen years. I had 18 years of living apart from Him to draw some pretty ridiculous conclusions about this world and how it operates. It isn't reality in God's kingdom, but it is my reality because of conclusions I drew through experiences in this life. Paul says he saw "dimly." We do, too. Our adoptive children will be in that same boat - they will be our children, but will see dimly as to the reality of what it means to have us as their earthly father and mother. It will require months and months of training. It will require such simple things as mom and dad serving dinner on their plates so they understand where provision comes from. There are so many things that will need to be re-trained in them because they have been fending for themselves, groping in the darkness.

Likewise, I see dimly because of the garbage I hold on to from my past and won't reliquish control and trust my adoptive Heavenly Father. This life is to be a life of freedom - it is designed to be resting in the "getting to", not "having to" under the yoke of fear, religion, or obligation. This is why we see dimly - we operate under the bondage of our old ways. This is another strong parallel - as parents, drawing them out of the old patterns and mindsets of fending for themselves, or living life for themselves, or trying to earn acceptance through works, or whatever the case may be...it is no different for us who are being grafted in to His family.

I know it is a finished work at the cross, but this is still a process of understanding how we are defined in Him and learning to cooperate with Him. Satan's game has always been the "if" game - "if you do this, then..." God has already paid the price in full and given us this gift - the ultimate gift of grace and freedom - and it involves nothing but rest.

Trying Not to Waste Trials

Growing to trust God is the essence of true spirituality, and fortunately he understands how difficult it is for us to learn that. Jesus will teach you how to trust his Father with the same patience that he taught his own disciples. Two kinds of experiences will be important here. First are those times when God provides for you or uses you in ways that leave you overwhelmed with his greatness and goodness.

Second, he uses those situations in which you are challenged by need so great that you know you are powerless to resolve it yourself. Don't despise those moments or blame God for them. He doesn't create them. They simply result from a world out of synch with his desires that fall alike on the just and unjust. He will, however, use everything in your life, including your difficulties, to teach you how to trust Him more freely.

That's how Paul measured his troubles: "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even unto death...But this happened taht we might not rely on ourselves but on God...He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us." (2 Cor 1:8,9)

Taken from The Naked Church by Wayne Jacobsen pp.112-113

I read that today and it really spoke to me, so I thought I'd share. I don't want to let any trial go to waste - this is the stuff He uses to shape us. I finally see it...

"Don't despise those moments or blame God for them." I spent much of my life angry. Much of my relationship with God was rooted in anger toward circumstance. If things were going my way, I must be walking in the blessing and was pleased with Him. But if things took a turn and became hard, I became hardened. I'm sure that produced quite a testimony to those around me of peace, joy, and love...

So here we are today. We just came out of a time where God used us in ways that left us overwhelmed with His love for us and others. Now we find ourselves headed toward challenges so great that we are powerless. He is working all things together - it is fascinating to watch as He unfolds each day along the journey!

The Author and Finisher

"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. Matt 5:8 MSG"

It has been an excruciatingly long 3 days since Oleysia departed. Many things have happened in those 3 days that have lead to some excitement, fear, and uncertainty with how this whole story is going to unfold.

God has been taking us back through the 2 year journey of adoption. I won't get ino everything here, as there are so many details that are probably only meaningful to us, but as we see the story unfold, we can see God's hand all over it. The most important revelation came to me this week concerning our present situation:

When we started over 2 years ago saying, "We want to adopt a sibling group from Ethiopia"... He was with us.

When we were told we had to put our adoption on hold because of pregnancy, and we were hurt because it was better for a child to languish in an orphanage than be with us and our newborn...He was with us.

When the paperwork needed to proceed with the adoption - the paperwork that if we had it at the time of pregancy they would have let us proceed - came just weeks after...He was with us.

When Jenn stumbled on New Horizons hosting program, and since we couldn't proceed with adoption at that time, we felt at least we could host...He was with us.

When Jenn had questions about different children on the waiting list for hosting, and hadn't heard from anyone at the hosting program, Jenn found a number on their website of a man who happened to have adopted from Oleysia's home and told us about Oleysia...He was with us.

When Oleysia was here, and we were all loving on another and cherishing the time together...He was with us.

He was showing us all this to help us see that He has been in the midst of it all. He showed me a picture 2 years ago of a game of bejeweled. It wasn't until recently that He gave me understanding of that picture - He is taking a mess of stuff and moving pieces around to bring things together and fall into place. Today I can see how he *could* make things fall rapidly into place and we could walk in favor that would be beyond imagination. I also see how we could get news that would hurt incredibly badly, and it would prolong the journey even more. And it isn't that I lack faith for the "beyond imagination" part - this is His story, not mine. He is the author and finisher of our faith. But He also lead us to Luke 17 - He is a righteous judge who will move swiftly...will He find faith in the earth? I think He's finding it here - I can honestly say I'm resting in Him, no matter the outcome...doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt...but He is with us.

We prayed several months ago that our heart would break over the things that break His heart. Today we sit, totally broken...but He is with us.

And now...our court date is slipping consistently for getting our little guy home from Ethiopia. Famine is ravishing the horn of Africa.

Oleysia must make some incredibly difficult and painful decisions, sacrificing something of her old life, or sacrificing what could be and is already here...some crazy stuff for a very young girl...but He is with her, and His is with us.

I'm excited, but also scared of what lies ahead...but I know He is with us.

He is with us.