Thursday, January 26, 2017

Our Journey to Adoption, Part VIII - Glory from Delay

The delayed process to adopt James and Sarah was frustrating. However, looking back, we can see how God received greater glory through all the delays! He made it more and more clear He intended us to adopt and that He was in control to bring it about.

Last March and April we continued to keep James and Sarah on weekends as we awaited the outcomes of other possible families for them. First, their biological mother said she appealed the termination, but she only thought she did (or wished she had, or wanted to believe she had). No record of an appeal was found, so the termination of the rights was not reversed.

Second, the uncle that said he was interested in the children didn’t have enough money to come up from Texas to even meet the children. He already had three of his own children, and didn’t have a permanent residence at the time. So, he relinquished his interest.

Third, one of James’ former foster families turned out not to be interested in adopting the children themselves, but wanted a relative of theirs to adopt. The relative didn’t have any recent connection to the children, so they were also scratched off the list. That left us and the current foster family.

God’s seeming delay is always for His purposes and His glory. As with the raising of Lazarus, Jesus delayed for God’s glory and the benefit of his disciples.
John 11:1, 3-6, 14-15  Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha… 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." 4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days… 
14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."


Can you think back over your past situations and see how God received greater glory and grew your faith through seeming delays? Let’s remember that as we face new situations that don’t seem to be working out in the timing we think is best.

Alice 

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