Her message began:
Your blog hit close to home today (well - as usual) - but I have to tell you about what God did when I ran away in February. I had plans just like you - and, also like you, God showed up! and I am thrilled to tell you that the Lord has called us to the very messy, scary, risky, crazy business of ADOPTION!
People, seriously, be very careful about wishing to run away. God will show up! Well Katie had hit the nail on the head, or at least pretty close. The call I received was about hosting a Ukrainian orphan for the summer. My friend Michele and her family had decided to host a teenage girl and there was one other girl that didn't have a host family - would we do it? Meanwhile Michele's husband and Pete were talking, and Pete sent me a text saying.
I'm open to being a host.
Okay, so you see how this was the end of the peaceful portion of my weekend? Adoption has long been a topic in our house, and close to our hearts. Pete was adopted. Emily thinks we need to "get a baby." I have felt for years that there are supposed to be more children in our home - but how, I'm not sure. While Pete and I started talking with the group running the hosting program, another call and an email came to us in the next three days. Both of them, very different situations, were about bringing children into our home. We were very open with our girls about these situations, and together as a family were praying for clarity. As usual, our big picture clarity came through one of them.
Sarah said, " You know, we're a really good family."
She's right. We are a really good family. So that was my big answer to the several opportunities that had come our way. We are a good family, we can share the love of Christ, and we have an extra bedroom. Next came the question of how to know what to do about each of these three situations. The first opportunity, hosting the girl from the Ukraine, needed to be dealt with first, as we had only a few days to make a decision. As we learned more about the program, its requirements and expectations, it became clear that we were not the family to host her. This is a program geared toward families with one parent at home, which is completely understandable. Our role in this situation is going to be Aaron and Hur to my friend Michele and her family as they host this summer. ( Exodus 17:12) One of the two other opportunities we are pursuing and I will write about that more later.
As I have spent the last two weeks praying through these opportunities. The Lord has been so gracious in speaking to me through His word. One of the scriptures is:
"Be strong all you people of the land. This is the Lord's declaration. 'Work! For I am with you.'"
Haggai 2:4.
This was written in regards to the rebuilding of the temple. People were busy making their own homes lovely while the temple lay in ruins. The Lord told them, "WORK!" Often the work the Lord calls us to is, as Katie described it, very messy, scary, risky, crazy business . It is inconveniencing and hard. It is work. And the Lord doesn't mince words about it, it's going to take away from the time, money, and energy we may be planning on using to make our own homes lovely. This is not the plan for some people, it's God's plan for all His people. We have to WORK! There are orphans to love, hungry to feed, lost to find. There are immeasurable needs in our fallen world, and each of us is called to address part of it.
So while I appreciate your texts and calls wondering what my big call was, I give the question back to you my friends. So what's your big call? I would love to be praying for you and your family as you wade into the work the Lord has called you to.
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