Wow, looking at our expenses proposed for the next steps in our adoption sent us into a spin of a discussion lasting well into the a.m. morning hours. It was awesome! Todd and I were sharing our fears of coming up with these costs and what risks we were taking at swallowing this chunk of money. We challenged each other with some intense and deep searching questions like: "If we'd have to give up xyz in order to afford this, would you?" and I'm not talking giving up my sweet tea at McDonald's, I'm talking bigger. But there wasn't anything we could do to convince each other to give up. We tried to target each other where it hurt the most to get the other person to scream "uncle" (that's what we used to say in tickle fights when you quit!) to no avail. There wasn't anything that could compare to welcoming a child(ren) into our family and ultimately following what God has called us to do. We are reminded:
"Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." -Matthew 6:19-34
Here is a story of God showing up: I, Erin, was sitting at the dinning room table having a school lesson with the children. I was reading to them from the bible the passage seen above, Matthew 6:19-34. Aloud I was reading the words, but in my heart I was praying and saying, "Lord, you are going to have to be very creative on supplying our adoption funds because I have no ideas of where this is going to come from." And right then, the very moment my silent prayer stopped, the phone rang. Now I usually don't interrupt our schooling for a mid-lesson phone call, but I did and answered the phone. It was an old friend whom I hadn't spoken to in over a year. We used to be neighbors before we moved out of the area and once in a while we would drop in to visit or make a phone call when a new baby was born. She was busy with her growing family and so was I, but we came to her mind when she recently needed help.
One of her children, now grown, was attending college at a school near to us. It was a fair travel for him to continue to make the drive and with classes starting early in the morning and such. The mom was looking for a trusted place for her son to stay during the week. She offered to pay us a gift for his stay and asked if we would consider. Well, I just had to chuckle that God showed up and so evidently and in that unique timing! I told her that I'd have to talk it over with Todd and that I'd get back with her soon. Knowing already what I would answer, but of course, wanting to discuss it further with Todd.
Todd came home a little bit late from work that same day as the phone call. He came in and dropped his work bags. I asked him if he had had a meeting or if everything was o.k. that he was late. Todd told me that he stopped at the bank and for some reason he just felt like opening a specific savings account for the adoption funds. He said, "I didn't have anything to put it in yet, but I just know that God is going to provide for us somehow." Again, I chuckled and proceeded to tell him about our old friend and neighbor's need and offer of a gift to us. It was one of those God's stories that only He can design.
Our "college brother" as the kids call him, has been with us through his first semester of his nursing program. He did a fabulous job with his tasks and tests and couldn't be a more perfect big brother in our family. The kids love to play ball outside with him or just enjoy talking over dinner with him. He'll be returning to us soon for his next semester after winter break. He is a god-sent, literally.
"Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." -Matthew 6:19-34
Here is a story of God showing up: I, Erin, was sitting at the dinning room table having a school lesson with the children. I was reading to them from the bible the passage seen above, Matthew 6:19-34. Aloud I was reading the words, but in my heart I was praying and saying, "Lord, you are going to have to be very creative on supplying our adoption funds because I have no ideas of where this is going to come from." And right then, the very moment my silent prayer stopped, the phone rang. Now I usually don't interrupt our schooling for a mid-lesson phone call, but I did and answered the phone. It was an old friend whom I hadn't spoken to in over a year. We used to be neighbors before we moved out of the area and once in a while we would drop in to visit or make a phone call when a new baby was born. She was busy with her growing family and so was I, but we came to her mind when she recently needed help.
One of her children, now grown, was attending college at a school near to us. It was a fair travel for him to continue to make the drive and with classes starting early in the morning and such. The mom was looking for a trusted place for her son to stay during the week. She offered to pay us a gift for his stay and asked if we would consider. Well, I just had to chuckle that God showed up and so evidently and in that unique timing! I told her that I'd have to talk it over with Todd and that I'd get back with her soon. Knowing already what I would answer, but of course, wanting to discuss it further with Todd.
Todd came home a little bit late from work that same day as the phone call. He came in and dropped his work bags. I asked him if he had had a meeting or if everything was o.k. that he was late. Todd told me that he stopped at the bank and for some reason he just felt like opening a specific savings account for the adoption funds. He said, "I didn't have anything to put it in yet, but I just know that God is going to provide for us somehow." Again, I chuckled and proceeded to tell him about our old friend and neighbor's need and offer of a gift to us. It was one of those God's stories that only He can design.
Our "college brother" as the kids call him, has been with us through his first semester of his nursing program. He did a fabulous job with his tasks and tests and couldn't be a more perfect big brother in our family. The kids love to play ball outside with him or just enjoy talking over dinner with him. He'll be returning to us soon for his next semester after winter break. He is a god-sent, literally.
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