Answering a Call

Ever since last Tuesday when so many of you responded to my public announcement about this blog, I have be looking forward to today, praying all week for God to speak and give me ears to hear what He wants me to learn and accomplish through me today by prayer and fasting. All week long I have felt the same call to continue to plan (physically, mentally, emotonally, spirtually) for adoption. I thought of so many of you who are 'following', and the wisdom you can provide about coming from homes that have adopted, have adopted children already, support other orphan care, etc. I know very little about the whole process, but I know that the foundation for any adoption will need to be on our Rock, so I figured I better bring Him into the process at the beginning (I know, silly of me to think, like He hasn't already been here and planned our path since before time began!), by really seeking him in prayer and fasting today. I planned all week to ask you all to provide any insight you can offer, pray with us that God would show us what He has prepared when the time is right, and helpful ways to start the process- books you read, people you talked to, things you didn't expect, good questions to ask/things to consider, etc. But this morning when I woke up and started praying again for the day, the same topic came to mind, only this time I started thinking about what might actually happen if I prayed and wrote about this (since there are actually people reading- yay!). People may respond and I would have read lots of e-mails and write them back, I will have to read some books they recommend, or make appointments at adoption centers, look at certain websites...this seemed like a lot of work. 'God, are you sure there's not something simpler I can pray for today?'.

"What man of you, having anbundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?...Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?...(the lost son) arose and wen to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him" Luke 15

So Jesus reiterates three times that He doesn't just sit around and wait for us wander to Him and ask to become part of his family- he knocks, he searches, he clears away, he runs. I am so grateful that God did not leave me lonely, dirty, or homeless, because I was a lot of work. It makes me think of the child/children God may see in the world who is waiting to be found and brought into a family, giving them a glimpse of how God grafted us into His family. So today I was especially praying that God would help me listen for what His will is for our family, but also to be willing to 'get dirty' and put in some work to carry out what God is calling us to.

As evidenced by this blog, I did push away my own complacency, desire for comfort and ease, and to pray and fast about adoption. So if you have any insight, like I discussed above, please respond- I am ready to do some work!