An Epic Adoption Story
Over the next few weeks there will be some immediate updates from the Land of Ham otherwise known as Africa and more specifically Uganda. In the midst of them I’ll also be releasing bits and pieces of how an idea became a dream that became an epic adoption story. There should also be my “Tuesdays are for Smiling” posts interrupting, but I can’t forsake them.
I’ll schedule the first one for our day of departure, Saturday, January 29, 2011.
Just look for “An Epic Adoption Story” in the title.
Hopefully, you’ll be brought to tears and laughter as you see the carefully woven garment of God’s purpose come together one moment at a time.
Go to Chapter 1 The Youth Rally
Adoption News
I don’t do this often here, but another milestone, another Ebenezer has been raised in the saga of the Smith adoption.
So, I think we signed the last document necessary on this side of the Atlantic prior to becoming guardians and eventually parents of three beautiful children. Those documents shipped and should arrive in Africa on Tuesday, 11/9/10.
Now, I don’t know what to do. We’ve been in the adoption process for so long and had so many obstacles to overcome that I am a little afraid to trust that we might actually be on a plane before the end of the year. If that happens, being true to form, we’ll be away over Christmas. I never thought I might miss a Christmas morning in order to make this whole thing happen, but God is definitely trying to mold and shape us as parents, as a married couple, and as His kids for something else and maybe many something elses with the ultimate something else being Home. Not to mention God is shaping our children through this whole ordeal as well. So, while I don’t want that to happen, and will pray that we are home by Christmas, we’ll do whatever He has designed.
Part of being God’s Kid isn’t that we figure everything out, but that it all makes sense in retrospect. We trust and follow, and then we get to make sense out of it all. For everyone else you just live with regret, shame, failure, and disappointment. A multitude of time and energy is wasted on determining where to place the blame and then seeking vengeance. Praise God we can be free from that struggle.
“11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.12 It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.14 He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.” – Titus 2 NET
Do you Love or Desire?
[singlepic id=53 w=320 h=240 float=right]Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sex and Beer are three things that, until recently, I would have said “I love!” But a recent post by my friend and professor Dr. David Timms has challenged me with a quote from In Hope, “When we say “I love chocolate cake!” we deceive ourselves. We don’t love it. We want to eat it! If we loved it, we’d care for it.”
You see, one is focused on fulfilling another and the other is focused on fulfilling self. One is willing to be used and the other uses. One is miserly and the other charitable. One cherishes freedom and the other slavery.
When I desire someone or something I will get “it,” and hold onto “it” at any cost even if “it” doesn’t want to be held. I might rather destroy “it,” then allow anyone else the pleasure of having “it.”
Chocolate chip cookies, sex, and an ice cold beer are things I desire. If I get to the last beer or cookie I will seldom ask if anyone else wants it (Confession #1). I may even eat cookies in secret so as not to tip off the crowd in order to secure as many cookies as possible (Confession #2). I used to say I love chocolate chip cookies, but I am deceiving myself because who cares about what a cookie wants?
Sometimes I try to pass off my desire for sex as love for my wife (Confession #3). This is hard for me to type, but if I loved my wife I would be more concerned for her desire than my own. Sadly, I fail miserably at this.
And there is nothing better than a hot summer day and an ice cold Grolsch, or Yuengling, or Newcastle. In fact, forget hot and summer. Any day drinking one of those is going to lead to refreshment, but I don’t want to give anything to beer or sacrifice for it.
In this season of life I find myself in a state of some confusion about whether I desire or love Jesus. I have thought that I loved Him, but I have been asking a lot of Him lately: heal my Mom, heal Kasey’s baby, make a way for this adoption to happen, and now heal my brother and heal Kristi’s grandfather.
It never really occurred to me in the midst of this until now that I might show Jesus love if I just simply asked Him, “What would You have happen Lord? What would You have me do?”
His answer may be, “Just continue to do what you are doing, keep asking,” but it may be something else. It’s the fear of the something else that keeps me from moving out of desire and into love.
Are you a user or lover of Jesus?
It’s a valid question. It’s one I need to wrestle with more.
Fill in the blanks with people and then with Jesus and answer the question: Do I love _____________ or do I desire _____________?
Now, with me, repent, and seek to love the Lord and desire Him only…only if He wants you to.
Thanks to David Timms for sparking this post.