Thursday Devotional - Sister Confirmation

Continuing from last week…

After coming home and finding out Sarah asked Jesus into her heart, I was thrilled! There was a part of me, though, that was somewhat skeptical about what she understood. I wasn’t sure how much rejoicing to do until I saw evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in her life.

Then, after reading books before nap time, Sarah asked if we could pray. We pray together before bed, but not usually before nap. Sarah hadn’t ever initiated a prayer time before. So, it was confirmation that the Holy Spirit was indeed inside Sarah and beginning her sanctification (ongoing  process of being made holy and set apart for God’s work)!

Later the same day, for additional confirmation, I overheard her singing her own made-up song “Jesus is inside my heart!” She often sings, but it’s usually a song she knows. So, that’s when I started crying tears of joy at her new life in Christ, praising God for His work in her life!!!

As Paul prayed for the Romans:

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

I pray for God to continue to fill Sarah with His joy and peace as she trusts Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray this for all of us!!!

Alice

Our Journey to Adoption, Part XI - Clarity After the Fact

As it looked more likely we could be the adoptive family for James and Sarah, Joe and I started looking at bigger homes. We were in a 2 bedroom 1 ½ bath condo that I had owned for almost 13 years. James and Sarah shared a room, but often woke each other up in the night or during nap time.

After looking a little bit, we decided it might be too much change at once! Being able to give James and Sarah their own room was a want more than a need, at least while they are little. We thought we should postpone looking for the time being.

However, a couple weeks later, my Mom got a call from a local family friend who said she was thinking about selling her house but hadn’t put it on the market yet. We looked at the house and liked it! She didn’t give us a price, so we made what we thought was a fair offer. She counter-offered, though, and we weren’t comfortable paying more. After much deliberation and prayer, we were led to walk away. The owner then planned to list the house.

A couple days later, the owner called us back and said she (and her grown children) decided she wasn’t in a position to get her house ready to list and show so she would go with our original offer. I couldn’t believe it! God clearly confirmed He had picked and provided this house just for us! It certainly wasn’t clear in the midst of all the deliberating. I had been confused why He led us to walk away when I felt like He had directed us to the house, but now it all made sense!

Jesus told His disciples many things they would only understand after His death and resurrection. Everything didn’t all make sense initially.

John 14:18-21, 28-29  ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” …²⁸ “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.

We’re to obey God, even when it doesn’t make sense or we think we have a better idea. He knows bests! Often we can look back and understand what He was doing, but only after the fact. If Joe and I had gone with the counter-offer we would have gotten the house God had for us, but we wouldn’t have experienced the peace and joy of His clear confirmation!

Alice