Reminded to Consider it all Joy

Well, in the past couple of weeks we have really seen God's continual provision and care. We have some really great friends who have so encouraged us by organizing a fundraiser dinner for us. We are still short some funds, yet could get the call with the travel date anytime. Our fundraiser dinner will be on September 27th so please pray that plenty of people will come, they will enjoy themselves, and we can get a bit closer to having all the necessary money. 

Then, we also got a call last Wednesday saying that our dossier had been conditionally rejected. A certain letter was not in the right format. When we got the news, we did not get the news that it had to be fixed like immediately, so we went over the hill, about an hour away with no traffic (but there's always traffic) for a doctor's appointment. While there at 2pm, our friends (who are also adopting and in the same boat) called telling us that we need to all meet, get the letters notarized, and sent upstate to get apostilled all by 4pm. I had not yet met with the doctor, but the amazing thing was that we made it home in 45 min. without speeding! We got it all notarized including overcoming a couple more problems and sent out with FedEx all in time. The FedEx pickup person even waited for us to finish up. It was very evident God's hand in it all and how smoothly the whole thing went. So now the letters are back in Ukraine, have been translated and are getting resubmitted.

We also got to speak with the kids on Friday morning and that was such a great time. They sounded great, talking about their summer holidays, school and other activities. They spoke with Kevin, Jason and Kelly, and we are all eager to have them with us.

I have been thinking lately about all that God went through to make our adoption as His children reality. The years and years God waited from Adam's sin in the garden to Jesus' arrival in this world, his death on the cross and the glorious resurrection. Wow! Puts my wait in perspective. The heartache of God as his chosen people hardened their hearts and often chased after foreign gods. But his love is amazing! Jesus overcame every temptation, every evil, and death itself to make our adoption real and secure, even though we hated God. Dealing with people who were stubborn, and blind to who he was, did not stop him. He never sinned and stayed about His Father's business. His love is so GREAT! And I am so thankful.

My prayer is that we might stay true to our call to adopt these kids, not waivering when things seem hard, knowing that our perseverance will lead to godliness, which will lead to brotherly kindness leading to love. These qualities if they are increasing will keep us from being uneffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord willing, a couple of kids will have the chance to know the love of their Saviour.

So, we must consider it pure joy, whenever we face trials of many kinds, because we know that the testing of our faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.