A Season of Blessing and Waiting

I feel so full of blessings right now... I am so grateful for this season of my life.

On July 22nd I was notified that my employer was laying off many of its employees and I was one of the many permanently laid off. This information came as a bit of a shock as I didn't see it coming. I had just bought a house and was about to adopt a little girl in two weeks. As I got the call, men were tearing my old chimney down to the foundation and building a new one... my yard was torn up... Then I wondered if E's adoption would be stopped because of this. Fear seemed to come running to my side.

It took a lot of talking to myself about God's faithfulness and the prayers and support of friends and family. I reminded myself that God did not bring me this far to leave me now. I remembered when I went to China, a trip I had planned for 18 months. I flew all the way across the world. I got off the plane, and got lost. No one in the entire world, including me, knew where I was, and I couldn't even talk to anyone or ask what street I was on because of the language barrier. I tried calling my contact and the phones wouldn't work. For a few moments I sat utterly lost and at a crossroad. I had to decide that either God had screwed up sending me to this foreign country and now all hope was lost or He was completely sovereign and planned this moment just for me and I needed to stop and see what He wanted me to learn.

By His grace, I chose the second choice and rested in knowing that at least the Lord knew where I was, and that was all that mattered. I took a deep breath, sat down, and enjoyed those moments with the Lord, choosing to believe He would work it out, not me. He wanted to assure me that He was with me. Those were probably some of the most precious moments of my life. A short time later the Lord put on my heart to try calling my contact again and this time put a lot more money in the phone and I was able to reach my contact and get where I needed to be.

Those moments could have been a time of panic and fear but the Lord showed me how to look to Him and be filled with joy and trust in the unknown. On July 22nd, I found myself at that same crossroad again and I found that the Lord again showed mercy and has filled me with joy and trust in the unknown. The Lord is totally aware of my circumstances, even more than I am, and He will provide.

I am so grateful for the timing in all of this. Had I been laid off in February, I might have been tempted to not adopt E for fear of not being able to provide (I might not have even been allowed to bring her home.) Had I been laid off in April, I wouldn't have bought this house. But being laid off two weeks before the adoption, the Lord allowed just enough time to test my faith a bit. I had to decide if He was faithful or not.

I have learned that the Lord never wants us to look at our circumstances and decide what is likely to happen. He moves mountains, He parts seas, and He raises the dead... The Lord wants us to look at His character and His faithfulness, love and sovereignty. After looking at where God had brought us, and where He was leading us He showed me clearly that I had nothing to worry about. The adoption would go through as planned.

Being laid off a month before E went back to school was also an amazing blessing. I have been able to take this time to really be with her, bond with her, and for us to get to know each other better. The night of her adoption my mom and I both noticed how peaceful she seemed... This time away from working has been such a blessing.

God is so creative. He wanted me to have some extended time with her and so in His great sovereignty He gave me this opportunity.

We had a guest speaker at our church on Sunday and he gave an amazing message on Waiting on God… one of the best I have ever heard. I have no idea how to get the link on this page, but if you go to this link and then click on Recent Sunday Morning Messages at the bottom, and then listen to the message Waiting on God. In times of distress, wait on God for His deliverance by Mike Pierson you will be richly encouraged.