"God-opportunities or Satan-attacks?"

This past week the Lord has granted me multiple "opportunities" to contemplate, reevaluate--and in some instances, briefly doubt, many aspects of my life; my call, my focus, and/or my ministry. Some would call these "opportunities" multiple attacks by Satan to discourage or even derail all that I do OR they might remark that I am "under a spiritual attack from Satan".  While I have been sorely tempted to agree with the latter this week, I am not willing to succumb to that thinking altogether.  Either way my response should be the same.  "Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord" (Zec. 4:6).  It was by scripture that our Lord answered every temptation Satan flung at Him, why would it be any different for us?

I am not sure why or how, but for some reason God will not allow me to remain discouraged for very long. He has always been this way with me.   Honestly, I cannot remember a time of great discouragement that lasted longer than a few hours.  However, this past week, those few hours have occurred on consecutive days because of the multiple incidents of "opportunities" that God allowed to come my way.

It is interesting what thoughts fly through our minds, unhindered, when in the throws of discouraging or disappointing  situations.  Self-preservation or vindication often becomes the obsessive thought pattern; with self-pity following close behind.  Doubt runs a close 2nd or 3rd and only God knows what else, since He knows my thoughts before I think them (Ps. 139:2). 

Our Lord knew we would have struggles with our thoughts; "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

I cannot tell you how many times those thoughts have come this week and almost just as quickly His Spirit would follow with verses and/or thoughts convicting...I have NOTHING to complain about. "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26).  NOTHING in light of what my Savior endured for me on the cross--yes, He endured intense physical pain, suffering and complete humiliation, but also utter separation from His personal God-holiness and His Father all because of MY sin.  And...NOTHING compared to countless thousands of others in this world who are suffering beyond anything my mind can comprehend; preventable hunger and illness, drought, torture, sexual abuse, and the list goes on and on.

I am not claiming, instantaneously when His Spirit reminds me of these truths that, I am suddenly released by discouragments' talons, but the foundation that has unexpectedly eroded beneath me--like a flash flood erodes the banks of a river--begins to be rebuilt.  It is His call, His plan, His time, His way...and He will do it!  "The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it" (1 Thess. 5:24). 

As that foundation began to be rebuilt by the living Word of God--written, spoken, and my Jesus Himself--resolve to press forward through the mess of misunderstandings and miscommunications and false assumptions burst forth.  A clearer perspective is emerging from the toxic cloud of doubt cast by Satan amidst the erosion of my faith foundation.  Erosion-control - His Word planted in the fertile soil of my soul and rooted by His Holy Spirit.

When the true Enemy is identified, the battle strategy becomes crystal clear. "So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you. Come near to God, and God will come near to you (James 4:7-8).

Interestingly enough, all of these "opportunities" have been clothed by "others" (my Monday blog post topic this week).  My guard should have been heightened.  They have come from my local church family and close ministry-friends.  All are relational.  I refuse to believe that any of them are my Enemy.  Of course they are not, since, "Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world's darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world" (Eph. 6:12).

God is ALL about relationships.  Relationships are not easy.  Relationships can be down right brutal.  But God designed relationships--horizontal and vertical--for His purposes.   The bridging of our relationship to God was certainly not without great effort.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:17-19).

Ones perspective on "who" the Enemy truly is provides the ability to more quickly recover from those feelings of injustice and not allow walls to be built between me and "others."

I began the new Beth Moore study of James, Thursday a week ago.  The first chapter is so applicable to my week of "opportunities".  I challenge you to read this chapter in light of the title of this blog post and decide for yourself which it is..."God-opportunities or Satan-attacks?"

Our All in All God...through others!

I do not know about you, but I find it harder and harder to do this thing called life apart from...others!  Recently, many of my friends and I have discussed facing life crises apart from God, not knowing how anyone can face such things without our God who gives us ALL we need to sustain us. 

He truly is..."our all in all!"  

However, more and more I am finding myself depending on the strength, the encouragement, the desire to persevere provided through another's connect with me.  I am beginning to understand that often the ability to identify with another as one way God brings about His...all in all...in my life.  Ultimately, our Lord is all we need and He alone can sustain us and He is with us 24/7.  While that is true, I believe He brings others along-side us to become that vehicle by which we can experience some of His...all-sufficiency. 

I believe God desires and expects us to do life with...others.  Many scriptures use the phrase "one another" and I once was given a bookmark listing some of their references.  It was eye-opening, to say the least.  Biblegateway.com shows 83 verses in the NIV translation which include that phrase, "one another".  These verses make for some strong evidence that our heavenly Father did in fact plan for us to do life this way; as those 83 verses touch on some of the most important aspects of our lives.  This is a great word study for a personal devotion, by the way.    

There are days I think it would be much easier to not include another in my activities, but after so long a time I feel a deep need inside to connect with someone besides myself.  It is true, I can and have accomplished much without another helping me, but it is obvious God not only desires, but expects us to depend on each other to accomplish the tasks He has laid out before us. Usually allowing others to help can involve some unpleasantries, but working with each other for His good tends to bring Him the most glory.

Rarely, in the Bible does God use one single person to accomplish His work.  If He does so, it is only for a time.  Those who did work solo and quickly come to mind, mostly in the Old Testament, are Job, Joseph, and Elijah.  These men faced many challenges...alone.  If I am not careful the Enemy can deceive me into thinking as Elijah did, "...I am the only one."  

In the New Testament it is obvious how much Paul is infused to do all that He does because of the impact others lives have on him.  Often it was through Paul's encouragement to others that he himself became encouraged and at other times Paul simply named someone who was an encouragement to him in his ministry.  As for Paul, seeing what God is doing in and through the lives of others is of great encouragement to me!  Another New Testament example is Jesus.  He was praying in the garden alone, deserted at His arrest and endured the cross alone, but His disciples were with Him most all other times.  Obviously, others were a vital part of God's plan for His Son.

Yes, the Lord is always there and I am almost constantly aware of His presence, but He himself desires a connect with others--the reason He created man in the first place--and obviously He has placed that same desire within each of us.  

Please do not misunderstand me, there are many who struggle with allowing this desire to become such an unhealthy focus, to the point of an obsession called co-dependency.  Deep problems can occur when we become so dependent on others that we do not think we will make it if another is not right there with us 24/7.  

While the former is true, so is a life that thinks there is no need to request or accept help from others.  The self-sufficient life, too, will be far from what God desires.  Finding that "happy medium", my dad would always recommend, seems to be the best advice. 

I do have the ability to accomplish much without the help of anyone else--I know this ability is from God--and I have felt that is what I have been doing, for the most part, these past three years.  I am convinced I can only do what I do because of those of you who pray for me and this ministry.  God is reminding me that while I am the sole person working to lay the foundations for Signs for Hope I am really not doing this solo.  At just the right time He brings others alongside me to share my God-stories with, to pray with, to encourage and be encouraged by, to lend a hand for an event, and the list goes on. He is helping me realize there are so many others who are supporting me in this process.  I have been praying for co-laborers, thinking the time is right to pass the baton to someone else for some of the busywork involved in this ministry.  Maybe God is providing those co-laborers in ways I do not expect.   You know who you are.  I must trust Him to send the others I need my way; His way and in His perfect timing.

It just occurred to me God himself, is never alone.  He is always dependent on others.  He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!  All working in concert together to accomplish what none can do alone.

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Allow me to share a little phrase that has stuck with me from a sermon I heard as a teenager:  "Others Lord, yes others; Let this my motto be.  Let me think of others, Lord, before I think of me."

Galatians 6:2 -  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 

Philippians 2:3-4 -  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

Romans 12:10 - Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 15:7 -  Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

2 Corinthians 13:11 -  Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Galatians 5:13 - You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Hebrews 10:24 -  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

Hebrews 13:3 -  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Truly blessed beyond mearsure!

This morning, I am overwhelmed by God’s willingness to allow me to be involved with some of the most incredible families as they walk this life-long journey called adoption.  Since God’s call to “coordinate the adoption of deaf orphans in the world” in March of 2008, God has been revealing Himself to me through some of the most amazing adoption stories.   These stories of unconditional love mirror God’s ultimate adoption story for each of us.  Sometimes, however, these adoption stories include pain and suffering.  Interestingly enough, so does God's.  This is one of those areas where God is teaching me His perspective, His plan, for His children through pain and suffering.   And more specifically through the pain and suffering God allows His children to experience because they obey Him in His call to adopt.

As I think what some of these families are enduring this very day because they have obeyed God, tears come to my eyes.  My heart goes out to them as they face another day ONLY by His grace! 

His grace…a topic for another day!

God has lead 9 families (7 since the end of July) to connect with me, through Signs for Hope, as they progress through their adoptions of deaf or hard-of-hearing children.   Prior to that, God has allowed me to be connected to some other precious families and their adoption journeys, as well.  The ways that God prepares us and equips us to do what He calls us to do, is mind-boggling.  I have always quoted that to others, but I can now see, in my own life, how accurate that statement really is.  I challenge each of you to stop and reflect on your own life and how God has prepared you for what you are facing today.  This will give you encouragement to persevere whatever you are facing.

As I look back at the ways in which God prepared me and continues to prepare me, for this ministry…I am in awe!  Does that mean I have the ability to do everything perfectly without any error?   Of course not!  But I can see how He has orchestrated so many different things—some positive and some negative—to give me the ability, the background, the foundation, that He wants to see infiltrate this ministry called Signs for Hope.  HOPE is His goal!

I have not always had this ability to reflect with certainty at how He has prepared me for the task at hand.  In the beginning, He had to confirm to me over and over again that He had not made a mistake when He called me to do this.  Others could see this clearly before I could.  I knew there were many others who were better prepared and equipped to do this.  From my perspective it just did not make sense that He called me and not someone else. 

Charles and I have never adopted and we have never felt God leading us to adopt.  It was a topic that came up in conversation, several times through the years, but the paradigm we had of adoption was not a fairy tale one with a ‘happily ever after ending.’  In fact, God had placed within our realm of friends several families that had experienced some heart-wrenching and life-changing experiences because they had followed God’s leading to foster and/or adopt children.   We would always end our conversations with…that would not be best for our family.  We really never felt God leading us to adopt.  Why would He think I could head up a ministry of adoption, if I had never adopted myself?  

As I have researched adoption over the past three years I have come to realize that adoption is rarely ‘happily ever after’.  Yes adoption can be rewarding and give boundless joy, but it is not easy helping little ones deal with some of the horrible things they have had to endure because they were rejected for whatever reason.  Often these children cannot accept the fact that someone suddenly loves them and helping them realize that fact is challenging…to say the least.  

We can compare the earthly adoption of a child with the adoption of our heavenly Father for each of us.  There are those who completely reject His perfect love for them.  Then there are those of us who accept that love, but then struggle in the development of that father-son or father-daughter relationship not willing to surrender our will to His.  Will we truly accept all the love He wants to give us or not?  Will we show Him that we love Him in return by our obedience.  The same is often true for those children who are adopted and so loved by their earthly parents.

I have to believe it is through those families and their sufferings they endured that God has placed within me, an undeniable urgency to provide pre-adoptive resources and training to better equip those who adopt Deaf/HOH children before they bring them home.  Resources available today were not available when some of our friends were adopting/fostering years ago.  I have had friends tell me they wonder if things had turned out differently had they had the present-day resources now available for adoptive families.

No, adoption is not easy!  But when He calls us to do something He will equip us to do it and He uses all of us to do this.  His plan is not for us to walk this life alone, but rather to depend on each other to gain the encouragement to persevere to the end. 

If God has not called you to adopt, He has called you to 'care for the fatherless'.  Will you commit to pray for a family that is called to adopt?  Your life will be changed and blessed beyond measure as you pray for those who adopt and foster. 

There are many ways you can obey God's call to 'care for the fatherless'. 

Will you ask God to show you how you, personally, are to fulfill His command to ‘care for the fatherless’? 

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For me, many of these verses were overlooked for most of my Christian life.  Oh I read them, but their meaning was limited.  Their meaning now, so rich and challenging!  Allow the Holy Spirit to wrap your mind in their full meaning.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."  Romans 8:14-16

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.  Galatians 4:4-6

You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more. Psalms 10:14,17-18

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.  Isaiah 1:17

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  James 1:27

My burdened heart...

I have missed several days of blogging this week.  I have so many topics I could blog about, but sometimes I don’t know which one to share.  Finally, He has burdened my heart to share this with you, today.

There are many positive and rewarding aspects of being involved with the adoption of Deaf and hard-of-hearing (HOH) children and their families.   I LOVE seeing God connect families with their Deaf/HOH sons and daughters.  I LOVE watching these sons and daughters, many with limited to no language at all, begin to thrive in their new families rich in ASL.  I LOVE sharing resources with families who adopt Deaf/HOH children that will help them help their children reach their full potential.  I LOVE watching these families grow in their own relationship with their Lord through the adoption process.  I LOVE being able to help these families raise the funds necessary for them to bring their Deaf/HOH children home.  I LOVE watching God draw these children into His forever family and then send them out to share His story with those like them.

But…

My heart ache’s for the Deaf/HOH children who will never be adopted.   My heart ache’s for the Deaf/HOH children aging out of the limited social welfare system in the countries where they live.  My heart ache’s when I see the faces of these older Deaf/HOH children labeled “URGENT – AGING OUT”.   I was overwhelmed with heart ache this past week as I searched for the Deaf/HOH children that are “waiting” to be adopted.  On one website photos of Deaf/HOH children who had missed their window of opportunity for adoption were now labeled

 “URGENT REQUEST – AGED OUT – PLEASE PRAY!” 

These children were from China.  The picture of what happens to these precious Deaf/HOH children who “age out”—at the age of 14 in China and various other ages in other countries—is not a pretty one.  It is not one I like to dwell on, and I try my best to keep my mind from drifting there long enough to create an indelible image.  But, there is no doubt God has placed this burden for them on my heart.  Such burden, this past week, that I sent out a desperate email to a few families and individuals I know who share this burden; urgently requesting them to join me in praying for some way to change these atrocities.   I will not go into detail here about the horrific plight of these children who “age out” of the system, but if you are interested in knowing more check out the post on the Love Without Boundaries website at http://www.lwbcommunity.org/adoption-of-older-children.  One thing to keep in mind, this article is based on what happens to the hearing children who “age out”; I am convinced what happens to the Deaf children—with  very little ability to communicate about anything to anyone—the violence against them would be much worse.  

The building of the vocational trade school (VTS) in Liberia, has given me much insight into what could possibly be done to aid these older children in other countries.  Liberia does not have laws limiting how long a child can live in an orphanage.  At the Deaf Mission in Liberia there are Deaf/HOH twentysomethings still residing there and attending school. 

One friend emailed back to ask what ideas I had in mind.   Her family has adopted Deaf/HOH children twice from China.  Very quickly, in response, the Lord gave me some basic goals an “aging out” home/school for Deaf/HOH children might offer.  Since many of these "aging out" children will still be without language there would need to be indigenous manual language taught in the aging out home/school for them.  Ideally, indigenous Deaf adults/families would be utilized for this and for possible fostering of these children.  It might not be a full-time foster family, because of cost and other legalities, but at least some time where these older children could experience some semblance of "family."  Vocational trades and "life skills" would also be taught in this home/school for children no longer welcome in their government institutions.  In addition, if we are looking at starting something like this in China, or any country for that matter, the "aging out" home/school should be located near a larger city for better access to greater resources. 

I don’t know God’s timing for something like this.  I do know He is all over the building of the Vocational Trade School in Liberia ( I will share more about this endeavor, soon) and I have to believe He will use some of what I learn in this process to be replicated in other places/countries. 

Please join me and others in praying for a complete understanding of how, when, where, a home/school could be started to prevent the “aged out” Deaf/HOH children from being thrown out on the streets as refuse.

 

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Scriptures that are challenging and encouraging me, today!

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Lord, you have heard what the poor people want. Do what they ask, and listen to them.
 Protect the orphans and put an end to suffering so they will no longer be afraid of evil people. Psalm 10:17-18

For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight. Psalm 72:12-14

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

God sets the lonely in families.  Psalm 68:6

God Connections!

Joseph called this afternoon.  He had been to a new church this morning with a friend he met at Kanakuk Kamp (now Camp Kivu) years ago.  During the greet time his buddy introduced him to another friend of his who owns a Chick-fil-a in Denver.  Someone mentioned Joseph was looking for a job and this man told Joseph to come in and fill out an application; they were hiring.  After chatting briefly following the service the man offered Joseph a job, on the spot, and he starts work on Thursday.  Praise God!  Joseph has been searching for a job in Denver since June.  Time to “Eat Mor Chikin!”  

Joseph and I talked about how crazy it is, sometimes—the connections…God-connections—that catch you by surprise.  Our Sunday School class and my Mom’s In Prayer (formerly Mom’s In Touch) group have been praying for Joseph to visit a new church for several weeks and for him to find a job for quite a while.  I never thought both would be answered the same day.  Oh, me of little faith!

God-connections, this is something that has become a common occurrence for me since God’s call in 2008.  I am sure I had them prior to that, but they have certainly increased in number and frequency in the past three years.  Maybe, I am just more aware of them now…or more dependent upon them.  Anyway, God does this when I least expect it. 

It’s funny…it seems more often than not…God does things in 3’s.  In an earlier post this week I shared that during the summer of 2003 God confirmed to me not once, not twice, but three times, I must continue my education at Gardner-Webb University.  Has anyone else experienced this?

Another such trilogy happened this past October.  Charles and I were invited to attend an adoption conference in SC.  We arrived early, found a table, left our things and went back out to get coffee and mingle. When we came back in three ladies were seated at our table. They were completing their introductions and explanations of why they were there and one turned to ask us the same. When I told them God had called me "to coordinate the adoption of deaf orphans in the world"… Let me stop right here and tell you that I cannot say the above phrase without being reminded of the immenseness of His calling each time I hear it.  Honestly, sometimes it is almost as shocking to me now as it was on March 18, 2008.  I don’t think I will ever get used to hearing it.  It is a constant reminder there is absolutely no way I can do any of this apart from Him.  …one of the ladies quickly shared that she had taken American Sign Language in college for her foreign language credit. She later came to me during the first breakout session to say that she knew our meeting was not an accident and that she and her husband were in the adoption process and were open to adopting a deaf/HOH child since one of their biological daughters was HOH and they already knew sign language.

When I asked one of the other ladies why she was there, she responded by signing to me that both her parents were deaf. Later in the day we had an extended conversation and I suspect she will contact me in the future.

The third connect came at lunch when a woman sat at our table who was a homestudy case worker from Raleigh, NC. When I told her what I do, she looked at me and said, "That is very interesting, especially since I received a phone call from a woman, just yesterday, looking to adopt a deaf child." My husband handed her my business card and the next day I was contacted by the woman she spoke of.  I have been diligently trying to encourage this family as they seek God’s plan for them through adoption, since that connection. Mom and Dad are ASL interpreters and they sign with their three biological hearing children. And Dad is in the process of getting an additional degree in Deaf Education. 

I can't make this stuff up!  I love God-connections...they aren't just good, they are the best!

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“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:1-5