A little devotional

One of our former adoptive parents and dear friend of mine called me a couple of months ago and asked if I would be interested in writing a devotional for a book that was being written compiling devotions for adoptive parents.  I said I would do my best and submitted one of the many lessons God has taught me over the past 11 years in the adoption world!  I know it will come as a shock to all of you, but I had a hard time keeping it at the word minimum and gave them the liberty to trim it down however necessary to make it fit! I received an e-mail yesterday and they needed more devotions....and older child adoption was one of the areas they needed a devotion for.  So I wrote one this morning and submitted it.  Figured I would share with you guys!  I will let you know when the book is published!  I am so glad something like this is being put together.  There needs to be more spiritual support for adoptive families!  This is a great start!

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” ~Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

We are 19 months into the placement of our 17 year old daughter, and 13 months into her adoption as our legal daughter.  Our first grand baby will be delivered by her this month.  This will put our youngest at 13 months older than our grand baby.  The last 19 months have held two run aways, one attempted run away, countless words of rejection and manipulation, having our windows screwed shut and our hearts broken over and over.  Our faith has been stretched, and our capacity to love unconditionally has been taxed.  I had a fellow adoptive mother ask me a couple of weeks ago, “so would you do it again?”  I hesitated a second and answered with a resounding, “Yes!”  God told us this was the path and we walked it in obedience.  I would never want to walk in disobedience by saying “no” to a request from the One who went to the cross for me!  Then I quickly added a disclaimer.  If God had presented me with a script of the next year and asked me to take this child into my home before I had ever met her, I could not have said yes!  My heart would have failed right there!  But that is not what He does!  Matthew 6:34 is clear about that.  He will give us just enough strength, love, grace and mercy to handle today.   We are not to worry about what “may or may not happen tomorrow.”  So yes, I would do it again!  I have learned to trust fully in God.  He is my sustainer and my literal breath of life to make it through each day…and just that day!  In the next few weeks I will become MiMi at 38 years young with 6 children still left to raise of my own.  If I dwell on the days ahead I will be overcome with fear, doubts, insecurities and possibly even regrets.  But when I focus on today, trusting Him for each step, each breath, I make it!  And not only do I make it, but I learn more and more about the faithfulness and amazing love of the One who called me to this great adventure!