Trusting God in "High Def" (High Definition)

Hello all! We have not posted to the blog in awhile… I have been waiting for news to share…

We have seen so much movement and activity in other children’s cases, just not our sweet Abby’s. We are confident that the Lord is moving her paperwork along though. He is just showing us that she is such a treasure that the journey to have her in our lives here is an adventurous one!

We had been told that in just a week our paperwork would ready. The problem is that people told us that and not the Lord. If God had said it we could have counted on it, but alas He didn’t and we are now at the 3 week mark since we were told that.  We have been blessed to see our other friends bring their children home and walk along side others who have traveled to meet their children and who are beginning to bring them home soon. Those stories are so encouraging to us to see God at work and know in our hearts, our precious girl will be home soon too.

I had a really sad day on Monday. I heard that instead of the news coming this week, it may be 1,2 3 weeks or even longer before we hear. My heart aches to hold her. I ache to have our lives to be present with one another. I paused as I was writing a second ago… I began to write “I ache to have our lives begin together” but then I realized our lives have already been intertwined since June 4^th of last year when the Lord revealed to us she is our daughter (and even before that because God knew all along J).

I shared our sadness with others who prayed for us. It is remarkable what God has done since then! I do not feel like crying, instead I have peace and joy that only comes from the Lord.

God sent me friends in my life that lifted me up reminding me of God’s character and His truth. God sent me into a study to confess my doubts and fears to Him and to learn from Him how very trustworthy He is. How His ways really are so very good, so much better than anything we can conceive.

Out of my time studying God’s word I have peace and joy and  I am already serving Him as a better wife and mother.  I feel so very close to my husband. I have been lovingly leading and correcting our children, when just a few days ago the same offenses may have caused me to snip or raise my voice. I am thankful for God’s doctoring my heart condition. 

My circumstances have not changed.
God did not change.
I sought God and He faithfully responded by caring for my heart and He has begun a change in it.  

To cast our burden upon God, is to rest upon his providence and promise. And if we do so, he will carry us in the arms of his power, as a nurse carries a child; and will strengthen our spirits by his Spirit, so that they shall sustain the trial. He will never suffer the righteous to be moved; to be so shaken by any troubles, as to quit their duty to God, or their comfort in him. He will not suffer them to be utterly cast down. He, who bore the burden of our sorrows, desires us to leave to him to bear the burden of our cares, that, as he knows what is best for us, he may provide it accordingly. Why do not we trust Christ to govern the world which he redeemed?

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?b=19&c=55&com=mhc

Wow! “Why do not we trust Christ to govern the world which he redeemed?”. I have come to realize this week that I just have not been trusting God. I am repenting from that sin and seeking Him to fill me with His peace and take away my doubt (Mark 24: Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”). I am asking God to turn my weak trust and belief into “High Definition” trust and belief (like how much better a movie is in High Def)!

 

During this time of waiting God has given me this illustration:

In my “vision” I am walking on water … like Peter did when he saw Jesus walking on the water… the waves of life are splashing around me just as they began to crash around Peter… I too get worried, panicked, fussed etc. when I look at those waves… then Jesus reminds me to keep my eyes on Him, not to look at all that is around me but instead focus on him, just keep focusing on Him. I picture Him gently reaching out and lovingly touch my chin to help me keep it up, He looks into my heart and into my eyes as He says to me “Eyes on me…just keep your eyes on me.”

I love how God ministers to us where we are. He knows how very visual He made me, so He gives me pictures to help me know Him better and understand what He wants me to learn.

In my time spending with Him these are the main verses that He is using to speak to my heart:

⁴ In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  Psalm 56:4

^{James 1:2} Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

^{Psalm55: 22} Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

And another application verses that help me to know how to live in the wait…

^{James 1: 19} My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

²⁶ If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Phil 4: ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

So we wait.

We are waiting upon the Lord to bring our Abby home.
We are waiting upon the Lord to put our hearts and lives in the place He wants them to be when we meet her.
We are waiting upon the Lord to prepare Abby’s heart for her new life and to be able to accept all of it and all of us.
We are waiting upon the Lord to grow us in Him.
We are waiting upon Him to help us love and serve Him in the moment and waiting upon Him to put those moments together into days that unites us as a family through Him.

Thank you to each of you for your prayers and support!
We are looking forward to sharing with you news as we know it about Abby.

Today’s news: God is good. He is faithful  and worthy of our trust!

In Jesus love,

Donna and the rest of the nest JJJJJ……………………J