I have been praying since we started the adoption process for Stevan (just found out that this is the correct spelling of his name on his birth certificate) to be home by August. When I think of Stevan and his needs; being here to start school on time would be helpful; not arriving in the winter would be great. I shared this a while back with a friend and she said to me that we need to realize that God’s timing is the perfect timing and our ideas might not be the same as His. This left me a bit dejected and questioning “isn’t it ok to ask for a miracle and for the things that would be most helpful to Stevan?” So I continued to pray for it but with less energy and passion as I had before.
Over the past several weeks, the adoption has made progress but looking at the entire process in all reality I came to the realization that August would have to be a TOTAL GOD THING, because humanly it definitely seemed out of the question. We were told our case should be ready for the adoption board by August because it will miss the July deadline because they are waiting on Stevan’s medical exam. So I let go and told God I’ll just wait for His timing.
Yesterday, I got to talk to a father who is in the process of adopting their second child from Jamaica and he gave me some amazing advice of things that I can do to help speed up the end process. He also told me that the adoption board isn’t meeting in August because it is a big holiday month and they won’t have it. I felt let down, that means we will have to wait until September. This father told me that the July adoption board is meeting this Saturday. So my mind started spinning, what if Stevan’s medical came this week, would there be a small chance that our case could get slipped in? Because I was also told that after the adoption board approval, it could only be several weeks until he could be ready to come home. Then my HEART stopped, what several weeks? The whole thought freaked me out. I have been praying for August; my mother heart has been loving him and so ready for him to come home, but could it actually happen in a few weeks? I’M NOT READY!!! How could I think that? The best for him is to come home now, but what if I’m not emotionally and mentally ready? What if God’s timing is to wait a few more months because HE knew that I needed more time to prepare for this life changing event.
So my heart has been rocked today as I wrestle with the possibility of a miracle from God, but also telling God, I think you might be right, I’m not sure I’m ready yet. My conclusion as of now is that this is another step in my faith journey of trusting God that HE knows best and His Timing is always PERFECT. So if it is next month or October, I know that there is no way I can do this adoption without His strength, guidance and peace. He will make me ready for what Stevan needs from me when he comes home. I’m learning how HARD adoption is mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and I haven’t even brought him home yet. But I’m BELIEVING with 100% faith that this will be one of the best things that I will experience in my life. It’s all in God’s TIMING!!
Lisa Plett
Wife, mother, special needs mom, adoptive mom, daughter, sister and follower of Jesus.
Is Love ENOUGH?
Last night we went out to eat as a family to celebrate Brad’s birthday. As we were waiting for our food, I asked my boys if they realized how spoiled they were. They responded with yes they knew and right away one of them said, “Stephen probably never has been able to go to a restaurant like this.” We went on to talk about all the things that Stephen probably has not done and all the new things that we will need to teach him.
I have been thinking about this conversation and a lot has been going through my brain. What are the reasons why Stephen would want to be adopted? He probably is unaware of the many 1st World opportunities that he does not even know what all will be available to him, so is it just for LOVE? The love of a family? I know what I want to offer him, I want to offer him love, family, hope, education, dreams, purpose and a lot of STUFF!! I want to give him a nice room, his own bicycle, electronics and the list can go on and on of stuff that I think he might want or need. Yes all of these things seem important to us because it is what we KNOW but what is going to be most important when Stephen comes home? Our total love and acceptance; because as we give him these he will then be able to know and understand God’s love for him.
I am feeling convicted in my relationship with God. Why do I want to be adopted into God’s family? Is it just for love or do I think and demand stuff from God? Is my relationship with God strong to the point that His love and acceptance of me just as I am is ENOUGH? What if my prayers are not answered and life is hard and painful and I’m not getting all the STUFF that I want, is HIS LOVE enough?
We are living in a society where we have access to so much stuff that I think we become spoiled and bogged down with trivial things and lose out on the meaning that God so intended for His children. He has adopted all of us into His family out of His incredible LOVE for us PERIOD! That’s all folks, God desires a relationship with me and He offers me that LOVE freely, no strings attached and I get a BIG FAMILY of other Christ Lovers with it too!
So as I put myself in Stephen’s shoes as an orphan with NOTHING to my name and Jesus came and said “LET ME LOVE YOU, I’m not promising you riches, glory or stuff, JUST LOVE” Would I still say YES? My head screams YES OF COURSE, but my heart says I need a bit more work done, I need to lay down my expectations and IDEALS and just take God at HIS Word…. I LOVE YOU LISA and that is ENOUGH!
Look UP
This weekend has been full of messages to me about Looking UP. It started with a video on Facebook about not to just be looking down and on our phones but to look up and make eye to eye contact with people and to connect. An amazing conference that stressed the importance of saying YES to God and then living with adoration for HIM and letting Him lead me. Another message was from a sister in the church who shared about how she saw herself entering the throne room of God but she was looking down in shame instead of up and into God’s eyes. Through a great word from the pulpit at church. At lunch with a friend she shared her desire to connect with other women. So what is God trying to tell me?
I realized that I live my life to much looking down at my circumstances, with fear and not spending enough time looking up and receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. Even during worship yesterday as I had my head bowed but my hands up I thought this pose doesn’t seem right. If I am living in pure adoration of my God I need to be looking up!
When we look up we see others and in seeing others we need to be compelled to connect, help, LOVE. When we look up we are not hiding behind our fears and pain we are looking up to grab a hold of new life and HOPE. Confession, sometimes when I am out in public and someone is approaching me coming the other way, I want to just put my head down and not make that eye to eye contact, WHY? I’m not sure, but maybe I’m afraid of seeing the other person and realizing we are kindred spirits that I need to reach out to, if only with a Hi or maybe a whispered prayer for them.
So this week my plan and desire is to LOOK UP, go through my days with my chin up and my eyes searching for all that God has from me. Right now I am looking out my window and just in looking up from this computer I see God speaking to me through the budding trees of new life. New life that He is promising me as I learn to LOOK UP into HIS eyes and the eyes of the WORLD. I can make a difference for HIM by just keeping my eyes looking UP to the Cross and HIS amazing LOVE for me.
Wrestling in my Brain
God has revealed Himself to me in so many miraculous ways during this adoption journey so far. I have been brought to tears by words from others as they revealed what God had placed on their hearts for me. I have felt a deep peace the last several weeks and I can say “I’m living with my hands up!” I BELIEVE that He is going to do even more amazing things than I could ever imagine through and in this adoption….. but then today as I drove to school to pick up Bryson, the third day in a row, because he had a seizure again, a wrestling match started up in my brain. God WHY seizures again? God I asked for healing for Bryson, I’ve asked A LOT over the years, WHY? Then I heard the thoughts in my head say “can you really bring Stephen home soon, if you can’t heal Bryson?” The wrestling went back and forth, I recalled many miracles that God had performed on Bryson’s behalf; but he is having seizures again! I have grown so much in my faith because of Bryson’s life; but he is having seizures again! WHY?? Will you perform a miracle God for this adoption? I think my hands have been up God, I’ve been trusting, but WHY does Bryson have to struggle again?
I felt my hands lower a bit when Bryson told me that he didn’t make these seizures happen. I reassured him I knew it wasn’t anything that he did. My heart breaks for him as he is trying to understand what is going on in his body. He told me he thinks that they just need to up his meds. I agreed and told him we will get things figured out and I am sorry he had to miss track practice again. OK God WHY?
Truth screams at me and I KNOW that God will work all things out! I KNOW that God is in the miracle business in Bryson’s life and Stephen’s life. But right now my hands are a bit weary, is it easier to just grab a hold of the bar of worry? I don’t want to go there, I want to lift my hands back up fully and totally dependent on God, but tonight I am tired.
Living with My Hands UP
The week before we left for Jamaica I was an emotional wreak. I was hearing conflicting reports about things in Jamaica and just didn’t know what to believe. I shared this will some of my friends and I told them I was on a roller coaster ride. I DON’T LIKE roller coasters. There are two reasons why I don’t; first I get physically sick when I am on one. My stomach just can’t handle the curves and up and down moves. Second of all, I like to be in control, I want a firm grip on what goes on in my life.
One of my friends responded to my email about my emotional mess with these words “Just thinking to the subject ‘roller coaster ride’ … that it is for sure….and what is good about a roller coaster?!? Riding with your hands up, letting go of everything – especially expectations and enjoy the wild and crazy ride! Be carefree – not because you don’t care, but because you TRUST the ONE TRUE GOD!”
Do you remember what I just said was my second reason I don’t like roller coasters? She truly challenged me when I read it. I copied the quote onto another piece of paper and packed it to take with me to Jamaica. I also mentally put the image of my hands up in the air in totally surrender to God as I boarded the flight to Jamaica. I wanted to let go and TRUST, I wanted to put my hands up, but to be honest I was terrified.
We went to a resort for the first 2 days and yes I enjoyed the time together, swimming and soaking up the sun but I was not relaxed, I still held a firm grip onto my worries. My stomach continued to churn on occasion. I kept bringing up the image of my hands up, I read through my devotions and pleaded with God to help me BELIEVE AND TRUST HIM. My heart believed but my head was holding on to all the details and worldly concerns.
Tuesday we left Montego Bay to head for Mandeville where we would be staying for the next 3 days. The distance between these two places is not far, but it is about a 4 hour journey due to hair pin curves, pot holes and narrow roads through the mountains. I trusted our driver, but my reason one of not liking roller coasters became obvious as I had to bury my head in Brad’s lap with my eyes tightly closed to survive the nauseous waves that would go through me. We arrived safely to our home in Mandeville. Our family stayed in a 2 bedroom rental. No internet, no phone, no TV… we were told to not go outside the locked gates of the house. Our driver left and it was just our family left there in the middle of this tiny island far far from home. Bryson’s comment was that we were like the Amish; Ty clarified that at least we had electricity!!! I caught Ty standing by the locked and barred screen door and asked him if he felt like he was in prison, he answered with a yes. Through all the differences, we settled in…. we were served amazing Jamaican food by our beautiful cook Karen. We bonded together as a family in a way we probably hadn’t before.
Tuesday night, I couldn’t fall asleep right away, getting used to the dogs barking and other noises of the neighborhood. As I lay in bed, I cried out to God for complete TRUST…. HE heard me and reminded me of his miraculous power and I cried myself to sleep. I woke up early Wednesday morning and went to spend some time in the Word. This is the scripture He gave to me; Isaiah 41:13 For I hold you by your right hand- I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, Don’t be afraid, I am here to help you. God was moving, I felt the grip start to loosen, I was totally out of my element and it was GOOD because HE had my hand, He was there to help!
On Wednesday we sent the boys off to a Basic school (3-6 years olds) with the youth group from Brad’s home church in Manitoba, Canada. (The youth leaders were Brad’s niece and nephew) Brad and I headed to Kingston with our Jamaican friend, Patrick to meet with Stephen’s social worker. Our meeting with her was brief but good. She clarified that Stephen had no family and was available. All that needed to happen to make sure things were fair was to run through their database to make sure that no other family had applied before us for a 12 year old boy. Most people want to adopt 2-6 year olds so I wasn’t worried, but I just wanted to KNOW. We were told that we would know by the end of the week. (we haven’t heard yet) but I’m OK with that. I had shared with the social worker and adoption coordinator at the agency about how God directly spoke to me about Stephen being a part of our family. It seemed from their reactions that they were both Christians, they just stated “if it is God’s will it will happen.” I let go a bit more of my grip, God is working….. He has people in place that BELIEVE.
Brad’s niece and husband are in the process of adopting an 8 year old boy from the same orphanage as Stephen. They had been having a hard time with some of the workers and weren’t sure that they would get to see their son. We had been given a letter on Wednesday that gave permission for us to go to the orphanage and see Stephen on Thursday. So Thursday morning, I went with them to see their social worker. After discussion and several phone calls, the plan was for the orphanage director to bring both boys to the agency at 4:00 that afternoon. I had been up at 5 that morning and spend time pleading and seeking God for a miracle for them to see their son. I saw God moving again and I could feel myself let go even more of my grip. At first I was disappointed that we wouldn’t get to go to the orphanage for the whole family to see where Stephen lived. But God revealed later to us; HIS plans were better than ours.
We send Thursday with the youth group going again to the basic school the boys had been at the day before. They were having their annual sports day. It was fun to watch these kids participate in their races. I couldn’t keep from checking the time often. The time felt like it was going so slow. I was going to meet Stephen again, this time with a love in my heart that had been beautifully placed there by God. What exactly do you ask a 12 year old boy? What do you talk about? I didn’t want to overwhelm him with five people surrounding him asking questions.
We arrived to the agency before 4 and I set in the back of the van for awhile seeking God’s face for wisdom and peace. The sky produced a heavy rainfall and we had to run into the agency. We were called back and into the room, there he sat in a big board room chair. The boy who had captured my heart. As Bryson, Ty and Kaden entered the room, Brad asked Stephen if he remembered Ty and the way Stephen’s eyes lit up, I think there was some recognition. We used pictures from my phone to break the ice. Showing him pictures from our trip up till then in Jamaica and pictures from home. Then we started asking him questions. He wrote the answers out on a piece of paper and nerves started to calm down and there were smiles and bonding started to happen. My mind raced at all that we should ask him, we kept it to fairly light questions; favorite sport, food, color etc. Finally I leaned over and asked “Stephen do you know that we want to make you part of our family?” He replied quickly acknowledging that he had known before. I was relieved because he didn’t seem upset or too scared. I felt that words were said in peace.
I had been worrying that maybe I was wrong in my impression of him at our first meeting last July. But after a short time of interaction it was confirmed that my impressions were right, a beautiful, kind, soft spoken and smart boy. It was awesome for me to watch Brad and Stephen bond. My amazing husband, who said YES with total blind faith about this boy. Brad told me later how he had been worried too if I had been accurate on my impression of Stephen. We took pictures and the hour went too fast. We told him we had no idea how long it would be but we would come get him and we left him there. My heart ached but also I felt this flooding of peace that he would be OK, God had Stephen in the palm of HIS hand, I can TRUST. AS we walked outside the rain had stopped and it had cooled the temp down, it was like God was breathing a freshness into me. I felt a lightness about me and as I think about it now I think my hands were up in the air with open palms.
My life journey has been filled with many roller coaster rides full of UPS, DOWNS and twisting TURNS. I found God’s comfort through the loss of my dad; peace and courage through Brad’s accident and lung surgery. I have felt God’s strength, hope and understanding through the life of Bryson. Each of these experiences have brought me to a new place of trust and to a deeper place of fellowship with God. But I have to be honest this journey that started on November 7th has taken me to a place that I haven’t experienced before. Each of the other experiences were out of my control to start with; I had to rely on God and trust HIM because of what had been given to me. This journey I CHOOSE; I answered with a YES; I stepped out into the UNKNOWN; I put myself on this roller coaster ride! With one obedient step I got into the coaster car along with my family; I fastened my seat belt and I told God GO…… I’m all in, I’m here for the ride that you have called me too…… Yes, I know that it has taken me awhile, (I’m a slow truster) and because I’m not perfect I will find myself griping the bar with white knuckles again. I don’t have clear answers or a timeline for this journey, but for now I am going to put my hands up, let go of my expectations and enjoy this wild and crazy ride with HIM.
Anticipation
In a month from now our family will be traveling to Jamaica. Jamaica, a country that used to bring warm sun and beautiful beaches to my mind, is now a country where my son lives. I have to sit here and soak on that sentence for a while. We are hoping to take in a few days of beautiful beaches on this trip but our main purpose is to connect with Stephen. My stomach does a lot of swirling when I think of this meeting. Ty and I met Stephen last July and he found his way into our hearts with his genuine sweetness and smile. But then he was just a sweet boy with big dreams and little hope in my heart; today he is MINE in my heart.
These last days my mind has been doing a lot of thinking about this crazy amazing journey we are on and the faith that it takes each day to live it and I have found myself in awe of my husband, Brad. Brad has never met Stephen; he has not been to Jamaica except for a ½ day excursion when we were on a cruise. This wonderful husband of mine is going to Jamaica to meet his son all based on my words about him. Yes, God has confirmed in his heart that this adoption is what we are to do, but without any connection to this twelve year old boy. I have asked myself would I be as open to this if I had not made this connection? God is weaving an amazing story so I won’t stay stuck on that question too long but I do know that this whole adventure is building my faith deeper than I could have imagined.
I have learned that Stephen knows that there is a family that wants to adopt him. I’m sure he doesn’t remember us from last July because the orphanage has a lot of people coming to hang out with the kids. I have talked to Stephen several times on the phone but that is all he has to go on. What is going through this twelve year old boy’s mind? Is he excited, nervous, afraid, and hopeful???? He probably is all of the above. How do you approach a boy this age and convey the love you have for him without overwhelming him? There will be a lot of prayers for direction in this next month. My prayer is that the knowledge that Stephen knows now will prepare his heart for our first meeting as a family.
Stephen has made his way deep into my heart. My love for him is indescribable, it is a love that can’t compare to anything else because I know that this love is being built and bonded by my Heavenly Father. The joy I see in Bryson, Ty and Kaden’s eyes when we talk about Stephen is another sign of that God love that is building. So we wait….. we wait another 30 + days to make that physical connection; and then we will wait again for the time that the permanent reunion can happen. Through this journey so far I am amazed at how the power of God is shaking, rattling and rolling my heart and mind and forming me into this new person that knows it is truly 100% about God and HIS plan for me and WOW it is a beautiful and scary thing.
On a God Adventure
As I reflect back on the past year, I can clearly see God’s hand in it all. He has moved, shaken, blessed and surprised me. It has brought me to a place of full dependency in some areas and a place of awe in others. What seemed like different paths He had me on, I can see clearly now, His hand weaving all these paths together for one amazing adventure.
Let me bring you onboard my adventure. In March, 2013 I started online classes at Light University Online to become a Christian Life Coach. I completed my classes in November of 2013 to receive an Advanced Diploma in Life Coaching. At first this was a scary thing for me because I had not applied my mind to education in 20 years. But I fell in love with the learning and the classes. My main three electives were Hope Coaching, Stress Management and Spiritual Formation. I’m just now slowly getting my coaching practice started.
In June, Ty and I ventured on a mission trip to Jamaica with 8 other people, mostly Brad’s family members. This was an amazing time of discovery and heartbreak for me and it was an eye opening experience for Ty. I will always remember the mother/son bonding that happened those 11 days. I just thought I was on a mission trip; well God had bigger plans in store……….. (Just hang on; I’ll get back to this.)
The years of 2011 and 2012 were very difficult for my health, I was dealing with Fibromyalgia like symptoms, I ached all over and was exhausted all the time. I went through a battery of tests and discovered nothing. Finally in January 2013, I had my food allergies taken and it showed I was allergic to 19 foods (it included all the normal foods I ate) I went into a mild depression and didn’t see how I could eliminate those foods from my diet. Then I discovered Isagenix, a nutritional cleansing system that provides your body the nutrition it needs for optimum health. I started it in August, and immediately started feeling better and I have lost a total of 40 pounds already. I got my health and my life back.
So back to BIGGER PLANS……. God gave me a great year of learning and education that increased my confidence and gave me a clear career path. He brought me products that helped restore my health. He sent me on a mission trip to Jamaica. In all of these things, I BELIEVE His main purpose was exposed when on November 7th, He spoke to me and He said, Lisa you are to adopt STEPHEN!! Yes, ADOPT. Stephen is an 11 year old boy that we met in the summer. He made a great impact on our mission team. I was shaking, excited and scared. I really wanted to bury this and forget I heard this, but it was too strong to bury. I send an email to Brad at work and it said:
“Brad I am going crazy right now. I just had a crazy thought or a God moment and I don’t know what to do with it. This morning I had been praying for some of the kids from Jamaica that I had met this summer like I do, nothing unusual happened. When I was working out at the gym they had a segment on the today show about adoption, great, made me teary but finished my workout. Came home and get into the shower and it was like bang… Stephen in the red shirt popped into my head. 
He was an amazing young man, 11 years old, full of vision and love for Jesus. I had this wrenching in my heart and it was like I need to bring him home. I have no idea if he is even adoptable and as you can tell, I never had any heart pulls this summer when I was there. What am I to do Brad?
I will sit on it, pray it, but what is it?????? I am honestly scared to death of this thought.”
I arrived in Brad’s office 20 minutes after I sent the email and I asked him so what do you think of my email? He sat there and was quiet for awhile, which to me felt like forever. Finally he smiled and went on to share how the evening before he had been at a men’s group. He had been asked what 2 words describe his life currently. One of his words was unrest. He had told the men that we had been seeking God as to what He wants for our lives and Brad’s exact words to these men were “we could adopt but Lisa is not very domestic!” Yep you heard him right. So when Brad got my email and he recalled the events of the evening before he could only say, YES!
So together we prayed about it, I contacted our friend in Jamaica to see if he could find out if Stephen was adoptable. When we found out that he was available we talked to our boys and they all said YES and the journey began! We currently have our papers submitted to the US government and waiting for approval. We have our initial Jamaican papers filed in Kingston and just today I found out Stephen’s last name and birth place. All of Stephen’s personal information has been added to our file today and now we are waiting for initial approval and then we will submit our entire package to them. Our hearts have totally fallen in love with our new son and brother. This mother’s heart is full of love and to be honest I am scared.
My word for 2014 is BELIEVE and I am clinging to the promise that where God calls, He will lead and never abandon. The Plett family’s world is going to be rocked in the next year. I know that God is on this adventure with us and it is all because we listened and obeyed. The rest has got to be placed in GOD’s hands. I’m good with that.
Writing on the Wall
Have you ever asked God to just tell you what He wants for you in your life? Have you asked Him to spell it out clearly, to write it on the wall? There are so many things in life that are hard; we have situations and choices in life that bog us down and we just want ANSWERS or more specifically the RIGHT ANSWER!
The other day a friend shared this story with me. She has been going through a hard situation in her life and struggling with her emotions over an upcoming event. She was taking a bath on one of these ridiculously cold Indiana nights. As she went to start the water there was an Aussie Shampoo bottle laying in the middle of the tub. Not being her bottle she picked it up and set it beside the tub. As she was soaking in the tub, she was telling God about her anxiety of the upcoming event and asking Him for peace and wisdom for the situation. As she was seeking God she turned to on her side and her eyes caught the shampoo bottle and she read on the back “NO WORRIES” She paused and immediately knew that God has spoken to her.
Did God answer her? You bet He did, He confirmed to her that He has her life under control, HE has it covered and not to worry. This answer didn’t remove the hard situation from her life but it gave her courage and the peace she so wanted.
So what are you currently asking of God? What choice would you like for Him to clearly state the answer on the wall? As I was processing her story, my first thought was personal, am I really truly looking for the answer? He might have written it somewhere, but am I spending time with Him, seeking and LOOKING FOR IT? Maybe the answer is not in the comfortable place that I want it to be. Maybe I have to really look hard in places that don’t seem right but it is there. I need to be seeking Him out of true desperation. Secondly, can I let go and accept the answer that HE has for me? This is spelled TRUST! Have you ever said “but God” I have! He speaks to me through His Word and deep down I know it is His answer, but……… that really wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted an OUT, I wanted revenge, I wanted something different. So I turn away and not accept it and then I get frustrated and angry, “where are you God, why aren’t you doing something?”
Ahhh….the beauty of God awaits. He has answers for each one of His children. He loves us so much to let us go, He wants to speak, reveal and touch our lives. He is a creative God who speaks in so many ways. Even when we reject His answer, even when we aren’t even seeking Him for it, He waits and waits. The answers are there my friend! God is speaking His answers through the sunset, through the beauty of the ocean, in a small still voice, through His Word, through a friend’s word to you, on the back of a shampoo bottle. He is there! Are you truly seeking and looking for the answer? Can you TRUST that the answer He has for you is Good and Right? I have a few lessons to learn here but my desire is to SEEK, LOOK and TRUST. Will you join me?
Reality vs. Faith
The other day I was sharing with a friend about a new exciting adventure that our family is embarking on. I shared details and my friend asked the question “will it be difficult?” In my response I stated that it will not be an easy road but I am believing God for a miracle. His next response was “great, but just as long as you don’t expect it to not be difficult.”
These words have been rolling around in my head since they landed there. I can’t shake them. I have been praying for this miracle for a few weeks now and God continues to be providing peace and just amazing faith. My head knowledge knows that it will not be an easy road, but my faith says the miracle is going to happen. So where do I land?
I believe as Christians living in this fallen world we have become calloused to God’s miracles. We only need them in the “BIG” things. We have become hardened to God’s moving hand because we see so much hurt, sadness and yuck every day around us. My faith says that God is performing miracles every minute, every second. But I don’t see them or notice. My head tells me that the road is going to be tough instead of thanking God for the miracle of the moment.
God asked me the other day if I could trust Him enough with our journey that I wouldn’t even have to do anything on the earthly side and just believe He will do it all the Heavenly realm? Let go of control, 100% trust? My head screams NO, NO! But my heart yearns for that faith and peace!
In one of my devotionals, God placed these verses just for me.
“Do not throw away your confidence: it will be richly rewarded” Hebrews 10:35
“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished” Luke 1:45
I want to live in the “faith” world! I don’t want my confidence to be thrown out; I want to BELIEVE that God will do what He told me He will do. I want to live in that world. But where do I put reality? I went and read Hebrews 10: 31-36. The author is reminding them how they remained faithful through terrible suffering, public ridicule, beatings, jail time and all was taken away, now that is the reality of my world. But the author wasn’t finished and that is where FAITH intersects, the end of verse 34 “you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. Do not throw away your confidence.”
So what should our response as Christians be to others who are facing exciting, but possibly difficult journeys? Do we radiate God’s Faith to them or do we keep them stuck in reality? I don’t know about you but I think I want to go the faith route. I want to accept the miracles of the moment and the crap of reality all in one shiny wrapped package of JOY. Because I know in my head and my heart that God will accomplish all the miracles that HE has promised!
What is your View?
Several years ago when Bryson was a part of the Baugo Challenger Baseball team out of Elkhart, they had the privilege to attend the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA to participate in a game against another Challenger team from Louisiana. The Friday night before the game, both teams were invited to a welcome party hosted by local businesses in Williamsport. Our team had arrived before the team from Louisiana and we had gotten our food and set down under the big white tent to eat. I was sitting beside Bryson and soon the other team arrived and the players were approaching the tent. I saw Bryson watching them as they came closer. He watched and then turned to me and said “mom the other team is handicapped!” Wow, how do you answer that one? I quickly responded with “yes they are.” But my mind started spinning. Doesn’t Bryson realize that he is handicapped too? Doesn’t he realize that the team he plays for is different than “normal” little league teams? I had to sit and process this exchange later in the weekend and I realized that in a lot of ways this response was ok. Bryson’s view of himself was not about his handicaps but his view was outward and all of the opportunities he had been given.
Bryson has always lived life in view of what he CAN do and has not become discouraged by what he CAN’T do. I need to view life like that too.
As a mother of a special needs kid, I see special needs kids everywhere, I see their mothers everywhere, because that is my view.
I am a mother of boys. So I see boys and their mothers everywhere as they interact, discipline and love on, because that is my view.
When I hear that someone has lost their father, I mourn with them, because I have lost mine, because that is my view.
When I see or hear another woman struggling with low self esteem, fear, weight issues, pride. I can relate because I have seen from that view.
But how exactly am I looking through that view? Am I seeing the negative side and the hardships that they are going through? Yes, I need to see this side, but really I need to see it as an opportunity to offer help, encouragement and hope.
I need to take the handicaps of my life and use them to be the catalyst to help others deal, cope and overcome their handicaps. I need to VIEW life through God’s lenses and how HE can use all things for GOOD. God desires for us to be vessels of His love to others around us. WE need to be givers of life and hope. When we sit too long and wallow in our handicaps we can become lost in them and no longer be able to see others that are handicapped too. We need to be a community who views each other as we are, broken and sinful, but not willing to stay there. We recognize it, join up as a team and play together in the spirit of love because that is truly is the view that God desires for His children.