On Thursday, I received a follow up e-mail from our adoption coordinator. In it we received brief information that confirmed some of our thoughts about an opportunity we found ourselves in almost 4 weeks ago. At that time, we were first contacted by our coordinator about a birthmother seeking to place her child- a sweet baby girl due in January- up for adoption. Our family profile was shared with her, as well as several others’ family profiles. It was so exciting for us! This could be Baby Burge. The first week went by. No worries. I thought. She needs time. Then the second and the third weeks passed. A dose of reality set in. This may not be Baby Burge. We learned from Thursday’s e-mail that she’s struggling with knowing how to move forward. It’s unlikely that this is Baby Burge. So, now what?
This is what: Waiting. We wait as God’s plan continues to unfold.
The psalms are full of such wisdom for moments like this. Psalm 27:14 (KJV) is the perfect reminder of what to do. David writes, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” I want to plunge into that promise, letting God do His work to strengthen my heart as we wait for His plan to unfold.
As we wait, we cling to him. Psalm 63 (NIV) captures that longing for God. David writes the psalm while in the desert of Judah. This was a real desert, but haven’t we all been in a “desert” at some time? He begins in verse 1, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you.” It’s when I’m in the “desert” that I’m reminded how much I need God to sustain me. Amen? Then there’s this line in verse 8: “I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” I love that word “cling.” I just want to soak in the words as they resonate into the picture of God’s desire for us to hold on tightly to Him. It’s beautiful, and it’s my prayer that I stay fastened to God through the ups and “deserts” of this journey.
There’s nothing glamorous about being in a “desert” or being in a state of such thirsting for God, but oh! the joy of being there. Paul writes in Romans 5: 3-5 (TLB), “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” We can also rejoice in the wait. Already I can see the fruit of the trials as my character strengthens and my hope in Him grows. Craig and I are thankful for every good ant trying part of this journey, for we can see more and more how dearly God loves us. But goodness, we may never fully grasp it!
In waiting,
Beth
The psalms are full of such wisdom for moments like this. Psalm 27:14 (KJV) is the perfect reminder of what to do. David writes, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” I want to plunge into that promise, letting God do His work to strengthen my heart as we wait for His plan to unfold.
As we wait, we cling to him. Psalm 63 (NIV) captures that longing for God. David writes the psalm while in the desert of Judah. This was a real desert, but haven’t we all been in a “desert” at some time? He begins in verse 1, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you.” It’s when I’m in the “desert” that I’m reminded how much I need God to sustain me. Amen? Then there’s this line in verse 8: “I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” I love that word “cling.” I just want to soak in the words as they resonate into the picture of God’s desire for us to hold on tightly to Him. It’s beautiful, and it’s my prayer that I stay fastened to God through the ups and “deserts” of this journey.
There’s nothing glamorous about being in a “desert” or being in a state of such thirsting for God, but oh! the joy of being there. Paul writes in Romans 5: 3-5 (TLB), “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” We can also rejoice in the wait. Already I can see the fruit of the trials as my character strengthens and my hope in Him grows. Craig and I are thankful for every good ant trying part of this journey, for we can see more and more how dearly God loves us. But goodness, we may never fully grasp it!
In waiting,
Beth
