Our Prayer Story of Being Matched
I had just arrived to back home from the US less than 24 hours before, and I was driving to the airport again. It was a puddle-jumper flight to see about an exciting work opportunity out east. As I sat in the taxi, jet lag was not helping me focus on the work questions I needed to think about. And then a night-time international phone call came. Our social worker. "There is a child available that seems to fit your profile." My heart starts racing as I hang up the phone. But just a few hours later before we could even look at his file, another family had taken him off the available list for consideration.
One month later, another midnight phone call. The same child is back on the list. I journaled how our prayer for discernment went and I thought some of you might be encouraged to read it:
One month later, another midnight phone call. The same child is back on the list. I journaled how our prayer for discernment went and I thought some of you might be encouraged to read it:
We sought the Lord's guidance in prayer together today and if God wanted to bring to our minds a scripture or way of helping us know which path was his path. After a few minutes, two words kept coming to my mind without really any perceived significance: 'look' and 'love.' We decided to pray about it again the next day.
During our second prayer time, Heidi thought we should revisit the scriptures that led us this far like Rom 8:15, Eph 1:5, etc. As we went through these scriptures and others, the story of the Good Samaritan came to my mind. As I started reading it, it became really obvious how loving one's neighbor was the pervading theme and when the priest looked and saw the man, he passed by him -as well as the Levite. Then the Samaritan "saw him and took pity on him." When I read that, the words "look and love" came back immediately before me. It was even more impactful knowing that a family had already passed up Avik, presumably because of his medical issues. We felt like in that moment God wanted to give us Avik.
We continued praying. God is there anything else you want to show us? Probably one of the clearest pictures I've ever had of the Lord came before me. In my mind with my eyes closed, it was like I could see Jesus come before me with Rev-like flaming eyes, and it felt like he asked me "what are you doing?" It was not an aggressive question, but it seemed like he wanted me to answer. "Adopting a child," I said. "Why is that?" was his reply. I said immediately, "to model God's adoptive love to this child and our community." He replied, "oh, is that why?" It was a calm reply, but the moment he said it, I was stunned to tears. I knew the moment he spoke it, I had wrapped up my own pride and enjoyment of the respect and approval of others with this. Next to Heidi in tears I confessed it to the Lord and how I often taint and intermix my pride and the accolades of others with these beautiful and holy things. Then I asked him with a bit of trepidation, "Do I need to rethink the adoption?" He didn't say yes or no, I distinctly sensed him say, "go." I rejoiced in his mercy. Then a week later as I'm writing this journal entry I realized this is the same word Jesus commands the lawyer at the end of the Good Samaritan story.
We continued praying. God is there anything else you want to show us? Probably one of the clearest pictures I've ever had of the Lord came before me. In my mind with my eyes closed, it was like I could see Jesus come before me with Rev-like flaming eyes, and it felt like he asked me "what are you doing?" It was not an aggressive question, but it seemed like he wanted me to answer. "Adopting a child," I said. "Why is that?" was his reply. I said immediately, "to model God's adoptive love to this child and our community." He replied, "oh, is that why?" It was a calm reply, but the moment he said it, I was stunned to tears. I knew the moment he spoke it, I had wrapped up my own pride and enjoyment of the respect and approval of others with this. Next to Heidi in tears I confessed it to the Lord and how I often taint and intermix my pride and the accolades of others with these beautiful and holy things. Then I asked him with a bit of trepidation, "Do I need to rethink the adoption?" He didn't say yes or no, I distinctly sensed him say, "go." I rejoiced in his mercy. Then a week later as I'm writing this journal entry I realized this is the same word Jesus commands the lawyer at the end of the Good Samaritan story.
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