We are Silly People

I wonder, has God whispered in your ear to do something that sounds impossible or exhausting or both? Chances are, if you're really pursuing Him and listening to Him, He has. I'm there. I hate to harp on money (I think I've been around Jono too long :) ), but it's my blog. So I will reiterate how stinkin' impossible it seems to come up with THOUSANDS of dollars to adopt and host a precious orphan. THOUSANDS. Every time I say it, I'm like breathless. And, I'm not gonna lie. Thinking about having a special needs 4 year old from another country in my home for a month sounds slightly exhausting. Not to mention the LIFETIME of opening our home and family to orphans that God has clearly called Jono and I to. As in, no retirement. No year-long vacations. No "empty nest".
In the midst of all that, God has given me a group of astonishing young ladies to lead in bible study, a small group of kindergartners to teach, and He's dropped people from other NATIONS at our doorstep to reach for Him. At times, I could easily believe the people who tell me, "That's just too much for someone with 3 young kids to do.". Actually, agreed. It is too much. But, lucky for me, God went ahead and dealt with me on this very issue today in His word.
In 1 Peter 4:10-11 it says, "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."
You know what? I am to do the things that God has called me to do in HIS strength...not my own. And why? "In order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." When I serve in my own strength, I get grumpy and tired and judgmental and I start to have a martyr's complex. But we simply cannot sustain a life of service and sacrifice in our own power. EVERY GODLY WORK REQUIRES GOD'S POWER. That makes so much sense, but for some reason when things start getting complicated our first reaction is to switch over to our power...which is no power at all. We're such silly people.
I also read Matthew 14:15-21 today where Jesus feeds the five thousand. You know, Jesus could have fed those people any way He wanted to. He could've whistled down some manna. He could've called each person over to Himself individually and handed them some food Himself. But instead He gave the provision to His followers and instructed them to dispense the food to the people. Is that not great?! What a BEAUTIFUL picture of what Jesus wants to do with His church today. Yeah, He could just create a new mom and dad for every orphan, or make birds carry food to the people who are starving, or make clean water flow out of a big rock to the people who are dying from a lack of it. But that is not His plan. We are the church. We are the "hands and feet." When we Christians in the U.S. sit back with our abundance and keep dreaming of how we can get more and more without dispensing anything to those in need, it's about as foolish as if the disciples in that story had taken all that food that Jesus provided and sat down under a tree to gorge themselves on it wondering when Jesus was gonna feed all those other people. Oh, we really are silly, aren't we?
Well, back to the whole "how are we gonna have the money and strength to make this whole adoption and hosting thing work" issue. I figured it out.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times you may abound in every good work." -2 Corinthians 9:8.
Hallelujah! Is that black or white or what? If God deems our hosting and adopting a good work (which the bible would lead me to believe He does), He will give us bookoos (sp?) of grace and make us sufficient in all things (read: money). Aaaahhh. Yep, that's me exhaling all of my worries and stress:)
Now I just hope that all of the disciples out there will pass out the fish and bread like they're supposed to.



P.S. Props to the book "Get Uncomfortable" by Todd Phillips for a couple of quotes in this post. It's a great on-your-own study or curriculum for a group.