It has been about 3+ years since my sister began her adoption journey. She knew it would be frought with hurdles. She knew she could choose to have a baby or adopt domestically much more easily. So why did she fight the fight? Why did she take on a third world government and the worst of the bureacracy of the US government for 3 years to fight for a child she had otherwise no connection to? The simple asnwer is: God told her to. She was obedient to a special call to save a life, and raise an orphaned child doomed to poverty in a muslim nation. Can you imagine what the Lord may have in store for this young man?
It is not always black and white. My sister originally was going to adopt from Burundi, but the process stalled and they decided to restart a year into it with Ethiopia (which has recently dramatically cut their allowed adoptions). They even considered giving up and adopting domestically at one point, but they laid out a fleece, and God answered clearly just in time. It takes perserverance and committment to answer God's call, but it leads to blessing and fulfillment found nowhere else. The same is true whether you are a missionary, pastor, parent, or postal worker.
I fought my own battle of sorts for the last 2 1/2 years. Ever since leaving public school teaching, the Lord had lead me and my family on an exciting journey. Many, many times I have looked back on the relative security of that job, and wondered what I was doing at Teen Challenge. I have even applied for public school jobs, but the Lord has miraculously and firmly kept me on course. Still, I felt an urging, a prodding, almost a compulsion to take another step. How do you take another step without leaving what you are called to? The Lord answered me these past few weeks. While still working with Teen Challenge, I will be returning to Graduate School at Liberty University and pursuing my MA in Professional Counseling. I always look to my wife for confirmation and support, and she gave me the best response: "I think you would be great at it. You should do it. I just wish you would have figured that out 15 years ago!" Me too, but the Lord doesn't do anything by accident.
If you are struggling with unanswered prayer, please do not give up. God knows what he is doing! Take comfort in your faithfulness, and knowing he will always reward it. Persuing his call is not easy, but easy isn't the goal. Obedience is the goal, and complete joy and fulfillment is the reward.
It is not always black and white. My sister originally was going to adopt from Burundi, but the process stalled and they decided to restart a year into it with Ethiopia (which has recently dramatically cut their allowed adoptions). They even considered giving up and adopting domestically at one point, but they laid out a fleece, and God answered clearly just in time. It takes perserverance and committment to answer God's call, but it leads to blessing and fulfillment found nowhere else. The same is true whether you are a missionary, pastor, parent, or postal worker.
I fought my own battle of sorts for the last 2 1/2 years. Ever since leaving public school teaching, the Lord had lead me and my family on an exciting journey. Many, many times I have looked back on the relative security of that job, and wondered what I was doing at Teen Challenge. I have even applied for public school jobs, but the Lord has miraculously and firmly kept me on course. Still, I felt an urging, a prodding, almost a compulsion to take another step. How do you take another step without leaving what you are called to? The Lord answered me these past few weeks. While still working with Teen Challenge, I will be returning to Graduate School at Liberty University and pursuing my MA in Professional Counseling. I always look to my wife for confirmation and support, and she gave me the best response: "I think you would be great at it. You should do it. I just wish you would have figured that out 15 years ago!" Me too, but the Lord doesn't do anything by accident.
If you are struggling with unanswered prayer, please do not give up. God knows what he is doing! Take comfort in your faithfulness, and knowing he will always reward it. Persuing his call is not easy, but easy isn't the goal. Obedience is the goal, and complete joy and fulfillment is the reward.
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