A reminder of His faithfulness
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV)
We had prayed for children for years with no success. We could identify well with Sara and Hannah, but the pain didn't go away. As we began the process of adoption, we encountered obstacle after obstacle: the cost, the travel as we are missionaries in Spain trying to adopt from Guatemala, the time away from our work and the endless paperwork.
God opened one door at a time, first providing some adoption grants, then providing approval from our missions agency to go to Guatemala and then providing money to pay for part of the travel. Once in Guatemala, what should have been a six-week experience turned into a seven-month trial of our faith and perseverance as we faced problem after problem. Our paperwork was rejected five or six times for random reasons, and we were about at the end of our rope.
Yet in the midst of it all, God reminded us of His faithfulness. He showed us that we could be thankful even though things did not happen in the timing we had desired. He showed us that even though we did not yet have the final adoption decree, He was worthy to be praised. Our faith had to grow to be able to still believe that God would work out the impossible.
He did work everything out in His timing. After a year of difficulty, we are back in Spain with our two precious children!
Even though ... "yet I will rejoice in the Lord"!
Father, You are a God who makes the impossible happen. Give me patience to withstand trials. Mold me into the person I need to be. Amen.
Text exerpt from Voices of the Faithful. Order your own copy from the
International Mission Board
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