The following post was originally posted by CWA adoptive Mom, Kristin Pichura/Ethiopia Program, on her personal blog site. It is re-posted here with her permission. You can read more about the Pichura adoption journey at www.justtheclay.blogspot.com Thank you, Kristin!
If you are interested in allowing us to post your CWA adoption-related story, please let me know!
As I close out my “adoption week” of posts, I am not sure that I ever took the time to share with you my thoughts on the financial aspect of our adoption. One thing that we were reminded about over and over again is that what God calls you to do, He makes a way for you to do it and HE deserves all the praise and glory. I remember starting this whole process feeling as though it would be foolish or unwise to even begin unless we had a fair amount of resources to “carry the load” ourselves. I think some of it was actually based in fear of what others would think if we started something with absolutely no means to see it through on our own. Fear that they would see us as unwise or foolish or presuming on the Lord. The more we got into this whole adoption process, the more God kept showing both of us that HE OWNS IT ALL!!!!!!
There is no bank account on any continent on all the earth that God does not claim full ownership of. Whether the boy had 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread or 200 fish and 500 loaves of bread it still was not enough to feed over 5,000 people! It still required the mighty hand of Jesus, God Himself, to do what only He could do to satisfy the hungry. And, whether we had only a penny in our bank account or enough to pay for the whole adoption nothing would have been possible without the mighty hand of our Savior! And, because of Him, nothing is IMpossible, either!!!! It is when we are weak that He is strong and His power is perfectly seen, it is when we have little and He turns it into much that HE is seen as great.
George Muller, Gladys Aylward, Adironam Judson and so many more have the most unbelievably beautiful stories as they served the Lord because, so often, they had nothing BUT Christ…and, because of Christ, they had EVERYTHING and His provision in their lives and ministries is so gloriously seen!!!
Please don’t think I am going “wacko” on you:)…do not go and sell your house and live on the streets, don’t give away all that you have and expect the Lord just to give you more…but DO listen hard to the Lord’s calling and obey, even when it seems there is no way. You will see our awesome God do things that take your breath away and work in ways that are beyond your scope of imagination and you will fall deeper in love with Him as you get to know Him more and see more of His attributes and character on display!!! Our $32,000 adoption “bill” has been satisfied and our hearts have been blessed over and over again watching God work!
In closing, I read this quote from the book “Crazy Love” and was reminded that the perspective God has given us this past year through our adoption needs to be the way we continue to see things every day of our life…not just in adoption but in whatever the Lord calls us to do…I don’t want this to be said of us:
“I fear there are some [professing] Christians among you to whom Christ will not say “Come Thou Blessed…inherit the kingdom”. Your haughty dwelling rises in the midst of thousands who have scarce a fire to warm themselves at, and have but little clothing to keep out the biting frost; and yet you never darkened their door. You heave a sight, perhaps at a distance, but you do not visit them. Ah! Dear friend! I am concerned for the poor but more for you. I know not what Christ will say to you in the great day…I fear there are many hearing me who may know now well that they are not Christians because they do not love to give. To give largely and liberally, not grudging at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money. Oh my friends! Enjoy your money, make the most of it; give none away, enjoy it quickly for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity.”
Robert Murray M’Cheyne Scottish pastor to Edinburgh (who died at 29)
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