Rough waters

Things have changed a little in our adoption story. I'm sad to say that we have run into some complications with our 3 year old boy. I am not sure how much information I am allowed to share publicly, so I will not share much except to say that it appears there will be a some what lengthy waiting period before he can be adopted. My heart is SO sad and I don't understand why, but it is not my place to ask why, it is my place to trust God's plan. We don't have all the answers but we do know that our God is sovereign and He loves this little boy waiting for a forever family. We are praying through our options of how to move forward and will keep everyone updated as we proceed.
Please pray for:
- complete clarity for our family: "Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Is 30:21
- protection for both our 1 year old girl and 3 year old boy: "He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart" Is 40:11
- Christ to make a way for our adoption of 2 children: Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4

During my quiet time this morning I read the following verses and it was as if the Lord were speaking directly into my soul:

"Listen to the Lord who created you... you are precious to Me. You are honored and I love you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west." Isaiah 43:4-5

Blessed for the Ride

"Please fasten your seat belt, keep your arms and hands in the car at all times, and hold on tight. Welcome to the international adoption roller coaster - you are in for the ride of your life!"

Anyone that is involved in Ethiopian adoption has heard the news posted today at the Court in Addis Ababa. Adoptive parents must appear at their child/children's court hearing. What this means for us adoptive families is that we are now required to travel twice. Once for the court hearing and then again weeks/months later to bring our children home. And so goes the ups and downs of international adoption. I was quite sad when I first heard the news, but through several conversations with God, a godly husband and a sweet godly friend, I am seeing the upside of this announcement.
First - I feel excited, honored and humbled to even be on this roller coaster ride. I am so glad to be a part of the Ethiopian adoption experience. What if Craig and I had said 'no' to God or what if we hadn't listened to the calling HE placed on our hearts? We wouldn't be experiencing this exhilarating ride at all. Oh what we would have missed out on already!!
Second - we serve a BIG God - a HUGE God - a God so gigantic HE created everything out of nothing and yet HE cares about the details of my life. God was not surprised by this ruling today and HE holds our children in HIS hands until we come get them, whenever that might be.
Third - I refuse to let Satan discourage or disillusion me. The enemy is a joy killer and I say "through the power of Jesus Christ - get behind me" I will continue to have joy and be encouraged!!
Last but NOT least - I am grateful for the opportunity to have my faith tested, strengthened, and deepened in a way that it would not otherwise be. We can only grown spiritually when given trials and problems that require faith and dependence on God's power. "Consider it pure joy my brothers when you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Genesis 50:20
"You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives!"

In other news .....
I still rush out to the mailbox as soon as I hear the postal truck because I am waiting waiting waiting for our I-171 fingerprint approval. Any day now, I am just sure of it!!

To keep my occupied in the mean time, we are putting our house on the market this weekend. It seems so simply to type and say those words - not simple to actually make it happen. A little more paint, one more wallpaper border, new carpet and it will officially be in MLS and have a sign in the yard. We are SO grateful to have found a house that is perfect for our family and so we pray our current house sells quickly!! The housing roller coaster has been another ride that we have ridden several times. I am pretty sure it was the kiddie ride getting me ready for the crazy ride I am on now.

Prayer requests:
- quick, quick, quick sell of our house
- arrival of our I-171 soon
- receive word on our children soon
- God's loving hand on our children until we come for them
- peace in our home during this potentially chaotic time

What are you going to do about it?

Many of you are familiar with this wonderful book, "The Hole in Our Gospel". I read it numerous months ago, but my mind keeps going back to many of the things I read in it. They have been swimming around in my head, I have been praying about them to God and I have been journalling about what God wants from me. Here is the question that really grabbed me. "What are you going to do about it?"

From Hole in Our Gospel:

"The question for us is whether we are willing to make that commitment - to live and act differently, and to repair the hole in our own gospel ... one who is determined to be the gospel to the world around him, it involves an intentional decision. It doesn't just happen. We won't really become change agents for Christ just by going to church every Sunday. We will have to make some "on purpose" life choices and then change our priorities and behavior. Only then can God transform us and use us to change the world. In the end God works in our world one person at a time...just one person at a time. You have the opportunity to be that person to someone who needs what YOU have to offer."

"What are YOU going to do about it?"

"What is God asking of you?"
"Are you willing?"

"But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." James 2:18

Over the past year we have been asked numerous times - Why adoption? Why Ethiopia? Why siblings? I personally have struggled to articulate the calling God has given our family. I love these words from Pastor John Thomas of Fish Hoeck Baptist Church in South Africa. When asked about the AIDS ministry of this church, Pastor Thomas said:

"This was not something we chose. It is something God put in our path. Wherever He leads, we will follow."

I pray this is true of the Porter Family ... wherever You lead, LORD, we will follow!

Discouragement

Craig and I have prayed for YEARS and YEARS that Christ would use our family for HIS glory and HIS kingdom. Of course, we didn't know what that looked like - but now we find ourselves living a life that is much different from the one we pictured when we got married almost 14 years ago (Sept 30, 1995 was the big day). I realize now that when we opened our hearts to God's calling and said 'yes' to homeschooling our children and we said 'yes' to various leadership roles at church and most recently when we said 'yes' to adopting --- we put a big ol' bullseye on our family. Satan doesn't like many of the decisions we have made (good) and he is letting us know it. But as I sit here typing this morning I resolve myself to NOT let satan steal our joy, kill the vision that God has given us or destroy our fortitude. Discouragement has reared it's ugly head numerous times over the past week or so - but God has graciously provided scriptures, words of encouragement and friends to speak His words to me.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Cor 4:7-9

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; through he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His right hand." Psalm 37:23-24

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of deer, He enables me to go on the heights." Habakkuk 3:19

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

Psalm 16:7-8
"I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Psalm 16:7-8

Esther 4:14b
"And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

I Chronicles 28:20
"Be strong and courageous and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you."

Not surprisingly, God knew exactly what I would need this year and He started providing back in January. A dear friend asked me to join her in memorizing one verse a week for the entire year, Word a Week. This has been the single greatest thing I have done in a long time to grow my walk with Christ. God has placed these scriptures strategically throughout my year and they have encouraged and strengthened me when I have needed it the most. I see now that back in January, when I didn't know we would say 'yes' to adoption and I didn't know how discouraged I would feel on this day, Sept 22 - HE knew and HE has been providing love, encouragement, and His balm of soothing words for 38 weeks.