As gift after gift was opened, I thought of these little children on the other side of the world, oblivious to the fact that they were the recipients of all these beautiful things.
These children have no idea that there is a room on the other side of the world all ready for them, a closet full of beautiful clothes, bins full of toys, and arms of a loving family waiting to embrace them.
How could they know they have already been given new names, and new identities as part of this wonderful family? They have no idea about all the effort that is being done and the miles that will be traveled to bring their parents to them.
From their perspective, life will change in an instant.
But the truth is that preparations have been underway for this event for years. While day followed day in the orphanage, seeming like nothing out of the ordinary was happening, extraordinary things were happening on their behalf that they were unaware of.
I think about all of this when I find myself tempted to think that nothing happens when I pray.
Sometimes in my walk with God, His word is so rich and He feels so close when I pray. Other times, it just feels like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling.
I realize that, like these children living in Africa, like Joshua living in China, I only have a very small piece of the whole picture to look at. Though it may feel like every day is exactly the same, and look like nothing is going on in response to my prayers, I am choosing to believe that the Creator of the Universe is not sitting around idly in response to my prayers. Though the answers may not come as I think they should, I know that God is working for our good beyond our wildest imaginations.
Among other things, we continue to pray for miraculous healing for Joshua while preparing for the reality of surgery on Tuesday.
We have no regrets about not praying enough for a miracle or asking others to pray with us, and we have no doubts that God has heard our prayers. We believe that He could still heal our son, although He may choose to bless him through this surgery.
When I don't get the answers to prayer I was hoping for, I'm often tempted to say, Well, I prayed but nothing happened.
But this week, if Joshua goes under the knife, I will not wonder if maybe God is withholding something good from us.
"He, who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" (Ro.8:32)
In other words, if God - who is just as loving as He is powerful - allows my son to have surgery instead of miraculous healing, we can have confidence that, in the bigger picture of Joshua's life, that is absolutely the best and most loving thing for him to experience this week.
Taste and see that the LORD is good...those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:8,10
Psalm 34:8,10
1 comment:
Angie, this is amazing & exactly what I needed at this time. I will be praying for Joshua especially on Tuesday!
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