There are so many things in my life right now to remind me of fresh starts.  Fresh starts – what a beautiful thing!  They are very motivating.

Spring is slowly coming to the Maritimes.  Sometimes it’s two steps back after one step forward, but we are occasionally seeing the sun.  We are starting to wear flip-flops more often, and the winter gear is packed away.  How refreshing.

Our family is eagerly anticipating a move.  When?  We don’t know yet.  Where?  Not sure.  But, we are thankful that we have been in contact with several churches, and are starting to line up visits to those churches.  Maybe one of these will be the right fit for our family to minister in?  We’re excited to see what the Lord has for us. 

I may be odd, but the thought of moving is exciting to me.  I love thinking about how I will decorate the next house differently.  What paint colors will we try?  Which fabric, curtains, furniture arrangements, closet organizations? Even my cleaning schedule will get an overhaul.  Love the thought of a clean slate and a “new” for us house.

And then, there’s a fresh start for our adoption process.  We had started the process in New Brunswick, but we are likely moving to the States at this point.  Each state has its own requirements that we will need to research.  But, we will be free to use any agency in the whole country, which will greatly expand our options.  This is so exciting to us as well!  Looking forward to the day when we have our daughter home with us, and the fresh start that will be hers.

And isn’t our spiritual adoption all about fresh starts? 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  2 Cor. 5:17-18

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”  Romans 8:22-23

The life of Amy Carmichael has always been such a rebuke and encouragement to me in the same breath.  Hers was a life lived solely for eternal purposes, with godly motives, compassion for people, love for the gospel and her God.  I’ve recently read a biography on her life and was surprised to learn that she didn’t originally go to India when she started her missionary career.  She knew God wanted her to be a missionary, but the Lord directed her steps one at a time to lead her ultimately to India, where she would rescue hundreds of little girls from temple prostitution and share with them the gospel.  Never married, Amy still became the “Amma” to hundreds of children, who otherwise would have lived their lives as orphans.  Originally, Amy thought God wanted her in China with Hudson Taylor’s China Inland Mission.  But the door closed because of her frail health.  She then spent 18 months in Japan.  But once again, God clearly closed the door to ministry there.  Finally, God directed her to India, where she spent the rest of her life.

I am reminded by Amy Carmichael’s testimony that God is “able to do exceeding abundantly” more than I can imagine!  God’s greatness and sovereignty (Isaiah 40) are not confined to my most creative solutions.  In other words, I have to guard myself from putting God in a box.  Things do not have to come to pass just as I had imagined or planned for them.  God’s thoughts are greater than mine.

And so it is, like in Amy Carmichael’s life, and every other follower of Christ through the ages, God is directing our steps.  John was able to share with our church family last night that we are looking for open doors to pursue a senior pastorate position.  This of course means that we may not stay in New Brunswick, or even Canada, for that matter.  And so, as far as our adoption process is concerned, we cannot move forward until we are settled in our next area of ministry.  The next step is a homestudy and deciding on an agency and country.  So, while I wish in my heart that we could move forward right now, I know God is using even this to direct our steps to the exact little one He has chosen for our family.  I am excited to look back even at this transition in ministry and see how He used it for His glory and purposes!

So, this is why there has not been any “adoption news” for quite a few months.  But God has written adoption on our hearts, and we will joyfully renew the process when we can.

  

We are in a holding pattern right now, due to providential reasons, as it relates to taking the next steps to move this adoption process forward.  But our intentions are to pursue ahead as soon as possible.  Just wanted you all to know why there are no new developments on the timeline.  All in God’s time.

In our small group adult Bible study class on Sunday we were discussing the topic of risk as it pertains to different biblical characters.  Clearly, some were more willing to take risk than others.  Everyone has a certain comfort level with risk – maybe not liking to take risks at all or thriving on recklessness or somewhere in between. 

My thoughts returned to a phrase that one of my high school teachers shared back in those days.  He said, “Without risk, there is no reward.”  And that phrase has stuck with me.  It’s true.  From the simple first date, comes a marriage proposal, then a wedding, then 4 kids!  From the risk of putting yourself out there, you get to know your neighbor, cultivate a relationship over time, and are presented with opportunities for sharing the gospel.  Without risk, there is no reward.   Without the cross, there is no redemption. 

How does this relate to adoption?  Well, in our small group, we were discussing whether biblical characters really had any risk involved if they were simply asked to be obedient to what God had commanded them.  They were assured success, because God had told them specifically what to do.  But there may still be a measure of sacrifice involved.  Likewise, God has specifically commanded Christians to care for the fatherless.

James 1:27  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Prov. 31: 8  Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute…defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Matt. 18:5 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me

Matt. 18:14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

I John 3: 16-18  By this we know love, that he (Jesus Christ) laid down his life for us…let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

When we follow God’s directives in Scripture, we are assured success and His blessing.  That doesn’t mean there isn’t potential hardship and trial in the way.  Without risk there is no reward.  But the reward is great when the risk is taken up with pursuing spiritual treasure! 

God has given our family a great desire to pursue adoption.  That may not be your family’s story.  But there are certainly great things He wants you to do to further His Kingdom!  What risk do you need to undertake in order to follow God’s will for your life?

Finding God’s will, and living for the glory of Christ to the full in every chapter of your life is what makes it a success, not whether it reads like somebody’s else’s chapter.

The good news today is that we finally found a doctor who will do our medicals for our adoption paperwork!  Also, we are planning a phone call to an agency in Toronto for a preliminary introduction.  We’ll see where that leads.

We are getting closer to being able to formally start working with an agency and get some clearer goals in mind, like specific country, estimated time frame, and finally a specific child!

It would be a whole lot easier to travel this adoption journey for me if I could see it all laid out in detail.  Then, I could check things off my list (I love check lists!), and see what’s next.  “Oh,” I could say, “there is a delay scheduled in here.  No problem, I see what is coming in the next step.”  But where is the faith and trust in that scenario?  No, many things in our lives are not clearly understood in the moment.  God gives us just enough information so that we can obey Him.  But he doesn’t give us more than we really need, so that we have reason to trust Him each step of the way.

I love how Dave Harvey summed it up in his book Rescuing Ambition.

“Do you feel called in a direction but are uncertain about what will happen?  God’s design in that is to drive you to dependence upon him.  Have you noticed how your desperation for God increases with the uncertainty in your life?  The new job, the new child, that new ministry – all of a sudden we’re desperate for God.  We’re starved, needy, ravished by a hunger to hear.  God delights to put us in this position because it postures us to depend on him and to exercise faith toward him.  It’s part of how he rescues us from misplaced security. … Risk rescues us from misplaced security by anchoring us in the eternal.” 

And so, I am thankful that in this adoption journey (as in all of life), I do not know how it will all play out.  But I know the One in whom I can trust.