Please God don't send us to Africa

As adoption day draws very near we reflect on the journey...

When I was a child I actually prayed to God PLEASE DON'T send me to Africa.  I will do anything but don't send me to some far off place.  Missionaries often shared in our church of their calling to go abroad and I was terrified that God would call on me.  God knew my heart and he did call me eventually not to go to Africa but somewhere just as scary.

Monte and I had struggled through infertility issues twice in the past and we desperately desired more children.  God said NO...not until you go to "Africa."  Not until you step out of your comfort zone and do something for Me.  God knew our hearts for children.  Something you might not know about Monte is that he is as much or even more of a sucker for cute babies than I am.   God gently and quietly led us to the world of foster care (not too much of a far cry from Africa).  God knew we would do anything for the larger family that we desired and we did.  We didn't do it because we were feeling God's leading or because we wanted to do GREAT and HONORABLE things.  We did it because we were selfish and WE wanted more.  Believe it or not God used our selfishness and He turned it into BLESSINGS. 

Along the journey "to Africa"  God taught us to be obedient and to trust in him.  It wasn't always easy but we learned that Gods Peace surrounded us when we stopped trying to control what really wasn't in our control.  We learned that In reality none of the children in our home, biological, foster or adopted, are ours. They are God's and He will care for them and because we are His He will care for us.

In "Africa" God taught us hard lessons about forgiveness and Grace.  We cannot truly love the children in our care without loving and forgiving the family from which they came. Even as they become a part of our family they will always be a part of their birth families. The more we embrace that, the more we embrace them. 

We found out that "Africa" wasn't so bad after all.  We still don't always understand the language or the culture and it is still scary but we have grown to love Africa.   Our eyes have been opened to a world of poverty and broken hurting families that make our hearts ache.  A world that we would rather forget.  But out of that broken and hurting world God gave us two beautiful blessings.  I am sure we will visit "Africa" often.  We will be out of our comfort zone many times in the days ahead as we deal with the hurt and brokenness that only God can heal.

When dear friends or family tell us that we are just such wonderful people for caring for these children look closely and you may see a smirk on our faces because WE REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO AFRICA.  But we are glad we did!

That's all for now...the natives are getting restless.

^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jermiah 29:11