Will God Show Up?

Will God Show UP?

So this morning our little devotion was about God showing up.  The Bible teaches us that God is always showing up right when it is needed.  He is even there when we don't see his hands at work.  So as we were finishing up I went around the bar to each child and asked them where they needed God to show up today

Kid 1 - "I hope if I miss lots of questions at the quiz bowl I won't get emotional."  This from the kid that wants to succeed in everything he does.  Always wants to have the right answer.  Wants to be the best at whatever he is competing in.  Have no doubt...he wants to win today with his team.

Kid 2 - "Today is electronic day - I hope it lasts a REEEEAAAALLLLYYY long time."  The  kid that  would rather be outside, playing a sport, or just playing a video game.  Anything but needing to set in a classroom for school.

and then

Kid 3 - "Spelling Test".  Just two little words.  Oh how these words break a mama's heart.  The anxiety you see in his eyes.  He has been doing very well on his test but every Friday you know what he is fearing the most for that day.  If I could take this anxiety away I would.

Of course as adults.... we don't go there.  We won't admit, at least out loud, where we need God to show up.  What our biggest fear is.  What if he doesn't care?  What if he is to busy to listen?  Will He think I am being foolish?  Will I be admitting I can't or won't trust Him?

The one thing I am certain about is that I serve a God that can show up.  He is almighty and strong.  He loves me with a great big love and I can trust him.  I know these things not because I necessarily feel that way all the time.  But his word is truth and that is what He has told us.  He has proven himself over and over yet still we doubt.  Today I will choose to give him my fears and the fears of my children.  Today I will trust His great big love.  Today I will be honest and talk to the only one that truly cast out all fear.

Pslams 118:6  The Lord is for me, So I will have no fear....

November - Adoption Month

So I have seen many post on facebook about November is the month to highlight adoption and foster care.  Whoop Whoop.  Can our family be the poster child for this.  :)  When I hear the word adoption I can't help but get a big smile.  Seriously this one choice has changed our family forever.

Let's go back a few years....2010 to be exact.  Tim and I both sat in a service at our church that highlighted the need for people to adopt and foster children in our area.  I knew right away that it was something I wanted to be involved in but I also knew that Tim would need to take the lead.  God had chosen to bless our family so much, I knew I wanted to share what God had given us.  I decided to keep my mouth shut....I know what you are thinking.  :)  A few weeks later Tim comes up to me and says he thinks this is something we should look into.  So we went to an informational CALL meeting and the rest I guess you could say is history.

It took about nine months for us to have all the paper work done and  our house approved to be foster parents.  In September of 2011 we accepted our first two foster children.  There were a few days (Okay I am not going to lie...there were many days) when I wasn't for sure if we were cut out for this but it never failed that God's grace showed up in just the nick of time to get us through another day.  God knew exactly who he had planned to be placed in our home for the first 11 months of our foster care journey.  He calls me his second mom (which makes me smile).  Because of God's great love for these children he knew we were the ones that were suppose to be the middle parents until they were adopted by their forever family.  Which are the perfect fit for these sweet children.

I can name each child that has been placed in our home over the last four years and the special place in our hearts that we hold for each of these children.

I still remember the day in September of 2012 that Lori Johnson called us about a little girl that had been taken into custody that was in the hospital.  I was sitting at my desk at work.  She was four weeks old and they were not sure what type of long term effects she might have from her birth mother's choices.  They were not even for sure how much longer she would need to be in the hospital.  I still remember the case workers words "I think this case might lead to an adoption".  Heart racing....what should I say.  I would not have daycare for a baby that young.  Would we be able to handle any medical issues she might have.  Can we do a baby again????  "Lori - give me a moment to call Tim and see if I can work out the day care situation"  I immediately called Tim and gave him all the details that I knew.  Of course he had the same concerns I did.  Were we up for the task?

By no accident my mom had just retired from teaching.  "Hello....Mom,  would you like to come and stay with us a while to keep a little baby until she can go to daycare?   Well I think that could be arranged"  God had already worked out those arrangements before she was born.  Tim's mom schedule would be flexible enough to help also.  Thank you Jesus.

I called Lori back and said YES and we are so thankful that we did.  God has been so good to us through this journey.  There is not one thing that we would have done differently.  His timing was perfect.  There are no words to express how much God has blessed our family through this journey not just by putting Annabelle in our family but because of each child that has entered our home for a time.

Everyone has been commanded to help take care of the widows and the orphans.  It isn't just a suggestion.  I know that not everyone is called to adopt or be a foster parent.  I do know that everyone can be involved somehow.  For example....I have a friend that almost everytime she knows we have a new foster child in our home she brings us a meal.  She is our life saver....just one thing taken off of my plate when our world is altered.  We have friends that share clothes with our new residents.  We have so many friends that offer to give our kids rides to practices or to ball games so that we don't have to take our whole crew early.  This might not seem like much but to us these things are huge blessings.  So my challenge to you.....get involved.  Offer rides, offer meals, offer shopping dates, offer babysitting, offer to teach education classes, offer babysitting while others attend training, offer to mate socks (okay maybe that is a stretch just thought I would throw that one in there) ....the list could go on and on.  There is something you can do.

Pride

Proverbs 16:18 (NLT)

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

As I have been working through Colossians Bible study with some really "cool girls".  Today's lesson hit home for me.  I shouldn't try to be doing this alone.  See, I have this pride issue.  I think I am strong.  I think I can do things on my own.  I think that I really don't need anyone (including Jesus).  I am surely good enough.  But guess what, that is all a lie from Satan.  God did not design us to do life on our own just like God knew we were not good enough to make our way into his perfect Heaven.  We needed someone to do it for us.   Colossians 2:14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.  Yes God in his infinite wisdom knew we needed an avenue of escape.  For that same reason God does not want us to do life by ourselves.  He has placed people in our paths to encourage, support and pray for us.  

So this week has pretty much sucked.  It all started with that nasty stomach bug.  You know the story of the uncontrollable puking in the parking lot....look back on my blog if you would like to have a good laugh at my expense.  I will give you a little break down:  Mom - puking on Monday...Annabelle on Thursday....Tim and Titus on Friday....Noah and Andrew.....Sunday night.  Yes, we like to spread our suffering out.  The joys of a large family a sickness can last for weeks.  

So this is where the whole pride things starts coming into play.  I was scheduled to have a small procedure on Tuesday morning.  You know one of those you go to the hospital they put you to sleep ....they wake you up and you go home the same day.  All is well with the world and you get to go back to work in a couple of days and all is grand.   I even had a friend on stand by to bring the family supper that night.  She insisted and how could I say No even though I felt a little guilty about it.   We have all kinds of stuff in the freezer...pizza, pizza rolls, chicken nuggets, bagel bites....seriously we could eat for weeks.    No one has to feel sorry for you or check on you because you are a strong woman and you need no help.  (okay maybe those were just my feeling....not all women in general)  Well things didn't really turn out as planned....I did go home but my bladder decided that it didn't really like this working thing so I ended up back in the er that night.  Come to find out that you really need your bladder to work and if it doesn't you feel that you could explode at any moment.   So that wasn't the biggest issue, about this time Andrew started having severe abdominal pain.  You know the kind that you ball up in the floor and scream for your parents to make it stop.  We gave pain meds and prayed for it to stop because this momma really needed to go to the ER to have her situation taken care of.... ASAP.  Imagine being on a long road trip where the driver refuses to stop for hours and hours and then multiply that pain by 10000.  I might not be remembering this exactly right....but it is close. 

By this time we knew we would have to call in reinforcements.  Nannie to the rescue!!!!  Nannie and Pops started driving this way.  We got Andrew calmed enough to go back to sleep as we snuck out to head to the ER.  The thing about going to the women's hospital there is none of this waiting around.  They get you in and let me tell you a catheter was my best friend.   I could have kissed that nurse.  (so if that is to much information you might want to stop reading now) .    So we head home.

Nannie decided it might be best to stay for a while incase she is needed again.....which she was.  Wednesday night Andrew's pain hits again.  We take him to the doctor and they decide that a CT scan will be needed.  Of course by this time it is almost five so we have to go to the ER to have this done.  (second ER trip in a week...this is a record for us).  So after about a five hour ordeal they decide he has a condition called Mesenteric Adenitis.  Basically the lymph nodes are inflamed due to the stomach bug we have all had.  Sent him home with pain meds and a bland diet for a few days.  We were praising the Lord for no surgery.  The first doctor thought he might have an obstruction in his bowels.  It is amazing what they can tell about CT.  We get home about 11 that night.  At this point all I can think about is my bed.  I really really want my bed.

The next morning is the big day..no more catheter.  I should be able to have this removed and all will be well with my world again.  My bed and I will become friends again and I will surf the internet and watch reruns of old shows.  Things didn't quiet go as planned....  That evening back to the ER.  Dang this bladder.  Seriously people you really need your bladder to work.  Good thing Nannie was still here.  Andrew was having another pain attack and I needed a ride to the ER.  At this point my pride is pretty much out the window.  Pajamas in the ER....I don't really care.  Can you say three ER visits in one week...that has to be some kind of record.    

So back to my beginning point....This whole time I tried to keep everything private and not have to ask for help from anyone not even my family.  I know I have many friends that would have come to my rescue if I had just said something.  Now I just think of all the prayers that could have been lifted up for me and my family if I had not been to prideful to let the need be known.    There is so many times that pride keeps us from lifting our needs up to the only one that can truly fix the issues for us.  We just keep on trying to do it ourselves.  

I am not writing this post to get sympathy because I don't want it.  I do want and need others to be praying for me and our family.  And I am pretty sure there are others in this same situation.  They have let their pride cause them not to come to their brothers and sisters in Christ to lift their needs up to a Father who loves them dearly and hears our prayers.

So since I am just hanging out at home right now....how can I pray for you.  Message me....seriously if will give me something else to focus on.