Amazed

What 24 hours can do...

I stayed up late, late last night to begin reaching our agency and other key players when Monday began in the US.  When I started to make my phone calls...things seemed a little "weird"... the answers I was getting about our situation (waiting for our major 1st document from our host country to get the "end game" rolling on the boys' adoptions)...well, they were not satisfying!

There appeared to be a problem with money.  Not that we won't have the money eventually, but that our agency wanted money now, to allow us to begin this "end game" of papers.  We simply don't have the money to send them.  But, remarkably, we were calm and had confidence that He knew this need was here and that He would provide.

There appeared to be a problem with some documents that needed to be sent off today (missing elements, etc.)

There appeared to be a problem with continuing to work with our local guide, and friend here locally (who has been a guide in our province for over 12 years.)

There appeared to be a problem with our scheduling of the trip we MUST take down south to get the boys' visas...it seemed impossible for Daddy to travel with us...so, we were settling into the reality that I would travel with all the kids by myself.

And then there was that pesky problem of the big clock that is counting down...we are wheels up on July 1...to achieve this...we simply MUST have the boys no later than June 14th.  That is in five weeks.  (Current statistics that I've seen show a minimum of 9 weeks for this process.)

After looking face to face at all these problems, I got down on my knees. 

I confessed to Him that what we are facing, ALL the paperwork hurdles, the 4 different government agencies that MUST grant us unmerited FAVOR...that it was a mountain before me that I simply could not see around.  We continue to have EVERY faith in Him, that He can move the mountains...but for us...well, at least for your author...the view of at the bottom of the mountain is growing tiresome.

So I asked Him to change my perspective, to see this mountain from His vantage point.  Then, in my mind's eye I was looking down on the enormity of our earth and seeing that my "mountain" was indistinguishable from all the other highlights of the topography.  I asked Him to help me maintain that perspective...to have His eyes to see it.

This came after a few days of beautiful reminders from the Word about how we should face these matters that require simple "faith," and as a result, offer no crutch of "sight."  I read over the weekend again about the story of Jairus' daughter in the book of Luke...that when the servant came to find Jairus and the Master together, traveling to his house to see his sick daughter, that the servant reported that they need not come...that she was already dead.  The Master's response?  "DO NOT BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE."

In the past I've read this as a gentle, kind word to Jairus...because the Master knew that He was going to go to that house and raise that child from the dead.   And how incredible was that...as she was dead...dead...now that's a big mountain to overcome.

But THIS TIME, I read it for me as a COMMAND, as a rebuke...DO NOT BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE.  Each time those fearful thoughts emerged about the time frames/paperwork...I would hear that command again...and that I must make war against those thoughts.

Daddy had been so insightful too when I'd shared some "worry" thoughts over the weekend...he said that he'd been reading about the constant challenges the Master was given, particularly when he healed people and forgave their sins.  The Master's response to his critics, "which is more difficult, that I say 'your sins are forgiven' or that I tell you to get up from your mat and walk?"  Daddy said that the Master was so amazing, because he did BOTH.  And, that just as we had two overriding issues (paperwork timing & money) that the Master was going to provide the remedy for both!

Then this morning, I found myself at a favorite passage I've not read in years..."I am the L*rd, the G*d of all mankind.  Is anything to difficult for me?"  Jer 32:27.

By the end of this day we had seen "movement" on many major fronts, from the one who is in control:

1)  We received word that the host government had issued the 1st crucial documents to start the clock on our "end game" of paperwork just this afternoon!  We should have it in our hands to sign within two days.  We were at a virtual stand-still until we receive this.

2)  We found out that grant money, that we did not expect to arrive for at least two weeks to our agency, MIRACULOUSLY arrived at our agency TODAY (we would have been at a standstill without these funds and the agency was unwilling to release their part of the final papers without some form of payment.)  On the very day that we hear that the crucial document is on its way...we have money enough to keep the process moving.

3)  We found out that our friend and guide here locally is the VERY PERSON that our agency contracts with to handle everything in our province!

4)  We got a hold of the documents we needed to send out today to "be ready" for the flurry of activities next.

5)  And as an added, amazing, cherry-on-top blessing from our Father who LOVES to delight His children...at the suggestion of our Principal, we are able to re-arrange our work schedules so that Daddy will travel with all of us for our 6 day trip to the South in the country here to get they boys' visas!  We were not even going to ASK for this favor, we assumed it was impossible given our small school.  But, just to delight us, He softened the Principal's heart and SHE made the way so that we could be together as a family during those crucial first days with the boys!

All this in one day.

He is doing it...He is making the way...we know Who we have put our faith in and we KNOW that He is able to accomplish all these things (and the new problems that will come tomorrow,) because it is He who "sets the lonely in families."

...that we might decrease and that He might increase...

The only thing we can say is...Praise Him.