Scripture is filled with admonitions of how we ought to live within this new spiritual family. How we ought to treat one another and interact together. How we ought to respond when someone hurts us or wrongs us. How we ought to uphold each other when one falls down or feels burdened with a heavy load.
As most of you know, my husband is a pastor. As such, we often find ourselves helping other people with their heavy burdens. Grieving with them at the loss of a loved one, pleading with the truth of God's Word for a marriage that's breaking, praying with them when their hearts are overwhelmed and overcome with sadness. This is a great privilege.
Well, these past six weeks, we have seen a beautiful thing. We have experienced this love and support of our spiritual family. When I have lost hope, I have received a note of God's goodness and grace. When my day is filled with tears, flowers show up at our front door. When I grow weary in my waiting for answers, my phone is flooded with text messages about God's character. When my heart is tempted to be bitter about the trial I am experiencing, a loving friend shares her story of how God has turned her bitterness to joy. The Facebook messages, the song links, the financial gifts, the prayers.
Most of you likely know that we have been waiting now for the Ethiopian government to give the final word as to whether we can move forward with this adoption. In the past six weeks, we have updated our home study (another whole long story), made an agreement with an adoption agency who's willing to help us, contacted private investigators, received news that Oliver is truly an orphan--able to be adopted, chased after state representatives and DOS officers, scrambled to gather papers that could possibly help us move forward...All without any guarantee from Ethiopia.
These days have grown long. The Psalms have been my dearest counselors of God's goodness. And just when I was growing so weary, I thought I could not wait another day...my spiritual family helped me to raise my head to the Father, to trust and rest in Him.
Last week, that was precisely where I found myself. Weary. Sad. With an incredibly heavy heart. Every simple little thing was making me cry. Plain and simple. I was a basket case.
My sister had invited us over for dinner that night. Though I felt like showing up in my sweats, I cleaned up for the night and we headed over to their home. We walked into their home, and we were greeted not just by my sister and brother-in-law and their sweet twins--but also by a number of our friends. I was taken back a bit...not sure what to expect. But then I saw some pictures of my son, placed prominently with a card. I didn't know what they had in mind, but I knew it had something to do with our son. I couldn't hold back the tears.
Soon we learned that these dear friends had all gathered on our behalf. They had gathered to pray for us. These, who had long been bearing this weight of ours in the quietness of their own homes, had gathered to bring our requests before the Father.
Dave and I sat in their living room, hand in hand, as these brothers and sisters began to intercede for us. They passed around these prepared lists--which guided the night of prayer. They started by praying for Dave and I. They prayed:
- For Patience in tribulation (Romans 12:12; James 1:12)
- To have the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5)
- To "truth" ourselves when temptation to think on lies comes (John 17:17)
- To have Joy in the midst of difficulty (Phil. 4:4; James 1:2)
- Battle Fear and Anxiety; to Pray out of a trusting heart and resting in God's sovereignty (James 1:6; Phil. 4:6-7)
- To Battle Discontentment (Job 1:21)
- For our Overwhelming responsibilities and To-do List (Phil. 4:19)
- That we would Taste and See that the Lord is Good-even in the midst of pain (Ps. 34:8)
- That God's Presence would be tangible (Is. 41:13)
My tears would not be stopped. I could not believe that these friends had gathered just for us, just to love us and to pray for us.
They continued to pray for Oliver:
- Praised God that Oliver has been located. God, the "Helper of the Fatherless" has done this.
- Prayer for his Safety
- Prayer for his Health
- Prayer for his Livelihood and wellbeing as he is being shuffled around from place to unknown place
- Prayer for his Caretakers-that they may shower him with love and tenderness, special care
Our evening continued with dinner and fellowship, but they concluded with one last season of prayer for us. They prayed for the obstacles in our way. They prayed for the desires of our hearts.
Step by step, they prayed through the rest of the things that would have to happen before Oliver would come home. They prayed that God would grant our desires and accomplish this work quickly. They prayed that whatever God did, our hearts would rest.
Never before have I been so humbled and felt so loved. I praise God for the gift that He has given in blessing us with a spiritual family. God did not need to supply us with a number of friends who have reached out to us in a variety of ways, but He has. What an incredible blessing.
I thank each of you who has been following our story, who has prayed on your own, who has demonstrated your love, who has prayed with us, who has written notes or emails, who has sent text messages. Whether your support has been done in a public way or has been a private intercession in prayer--I thank God for you.
And now, as we wait, please pray that the government of Ethiopia would decide soon what will happen with our case...how they would like us to proceed, if they would like us to proceed. We are also praying that the orphanage director would see fit to send us an update and picture of Oliver, who is now about six months old. Thank you for your prayers.
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