My Heart Aches....

My heart aches this morning as I pray for a sweet client. They had a failed adoption situation yesterday, and my heart hurts for them as I know they are hurting. Adoption is such a long, emotional journey...even if it only takes 3 months to get your hands on YOUR baby, that 3 months is a lifetime in adoption. In 3 months, you could be matched with 5 different BM's, you could travel 5 different times, to 5 different states and still go home each time with no baby. That's when you have to remember that, Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." What an encouragement...what an incredible promise, the Lord our God is with us wherever we go, He is with us in each of those 5 states, in every hospital room we walk into, in every BM conversation. He is there. He has not left us. Do not be afraid, be strong and courageous.

We may never know why we had to go through 5, 6 or 7 tries to get our child, but I trust that God has a purpose and plan for my life...maybe the Lord spoke through you to those BM's, maybe they are going to make a life-altering decision and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, all because you were there, and the Lord was able to work through you. Wow! What an incredible thought. It's amazing to think that He could be working through us for His glory in some of the hardest moments of our life. He never promised being a Christian would be easy, or that we wouldn't have heartache, He simply reminds us that He is there every step of the way! Praise the Lord for that promise.

I am so blessed to work with clients that seem to never lose sight of eternity. They know through each heartache, that God has a purpose for their lives, and they pray that whatever the outcome that God would ultimately be glorified! They are trusting in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

I love this next verse in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” I love that it says "All" not some, or a few, or most....it says He will meet all our needs. That doesn't necessarily mean in our timing, or the way we think it should be done. It means He, will meet all of our needs in His perfect timing! God is faithful and He does what He promises.

The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge and trust in Him. Nahum 1:7

He tells us to cast our burdens on Him, to allow Him to be our strength in trouble and for us to take refuge in Him. Praise Him, that in times of trouble and heart-ache he doesn’t fade away, he is there for us, he wants us to get on our knees and give it all to him. Thank you, lord. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins, so that I don’t have to carry my burdens alone.

Here are a few other encouraging verses:

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3,7

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Tim 1:7

I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8

Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be moved . Psal55:22

He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. Psalm 62:6

Casting the whole of your care on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

Lord, I pray that you would comfort my sweet clients today and in the days ahead as they continue to walk through this adoption journey. Lord, they know that you have called them to this, and they know that you have a plan. Lord, wrap your arms around them as they grieve the loss of this situation. Lord, I pray that you draw this BM close to you, Lord I pray that through this family that she be drawn to you, may she accept you as her Lord and Savior and raise this child up in Christ. Lord, my you be glorified through every adoption situation my clients are in, whether that be a completed adoption or a failed one, I pray you are ultimately glorified. You are a mighty god, and we will trust in you, Lord.

The Starfish Story

Original Story by: Loren Eisley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed

a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"

The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean.

The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die."

"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?

You can't make a difference!"

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,

and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…"

I made a difference for that one."

Love this story! So many of us get overwhelmed with the numbers, the number of orphans, and we think we can't make a difference. You can make a difference, for that one orphan!! I hope this little story encourages you as much as it did me, we can make a difference, don't let the numbers scare you, if you rescue one orphan, the number would go from 147,000,000 to 146,999,999! Imagine if we all rescued just one orphan!!

Can't imagine my family without the children we adopted! Boy, has God blessed our lives with the "orphans" we rescued!!

James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."