Several months ago, I was listing to a podcast from one of my favorite pastor’s in which he was preaching on Peter’s miraculous water walking experience. Now I have heard this story many times and can tell it with great detail. However, when the pastor shared his main point, I saw something that I had never seen before. The pastor’s main focus was a question, “Are you willing to do what only you can do in order to see God do what only he can do?”
This question was extremely relevant to me because my wife and I had just begun our adoption process, knowing that on paper there was no way we could pull it off. As I began wrestling with that question and reading Peter’s story over and over, God began speaking to me about this idea of “the space in-between.” The space in-between being the time frame between when you clearly hear God’s invitation to act and that moment when what he is inviting you into comes to pass. For instance, the space in-between Abraham hearing God’s call to sacrifice the son of promise and him raising the knife in the air to take his son’s life, or the space in-between Joseph receiving a prophetic dream from God and saving all of Egypt (including his family) from famine, or the space in-between Peter hearing God’s invitation to join him ON the water and taking his first step out of the boat and the list goes on.
Scripture says that God is able to do immeasurably more than we think or imagine. I am convinced most Christians do not get to experience the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit in their lives because they are not willing to put themselves in the space in-between. The space in-between what we can think and imagine and what God can do above and beyond that is a scary place for us because it requires total trust in God. To use the words of the preacher, it takes doing all that we can do in order to see God do what only he can do. It means being out of control and in faith.
As I walk through the space in-between hearing God’s word to adopt and bringing my little girl home, I am full of confidence in my God and his ability to come through. Though our ability to facilitate this adoption is as nonexistent as Peter’s ability to walk on water, I know God is abundantly able! What is God calling you to? What life changing experience is he inviting you into? Whatever it is, I pray you find the courage to accept his invite and journey through the space in-between…it’s worth it!
It Takes A Village!
We have all heard the old ancient African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Well, in our case it takes a village to bring a child home too!
This past Saturday, we had a fund-raising yard sale which we began planning several weeks ago in an attempt to raise some money to complete our home-study. The home-study is rather expensive and it’s the next big step in our journey to bring Joyce home.
As friends and family began to hear about the yard-sale, they started cleaning out their closets, garages and attics and donating stuff for us to sell. It was really amazing! People started dropping stuff off at Amy’s mom’s house, bringing it to her school and the church, and calling us to come and pick it up. By the time Saturday rolled around, we had enough stuff to open our own little thrift store!
A mother, who has a child in Amy’s class, took some of the pictures we have of Joyce and had a huge poster made with Joyce’s story on it. She had it framed so we could set it up at the yard sale with a donation jar. It was beautiful and we will treasure it forever!
Several of the girls in Amy’s class, who are all in the same Brownie troop, set up a booth and sold lemonade, coffee and homemade baked goods. They made just over $100.00 and donated every penny to us! They also made signs on poster board and stood out in the yard and flagged cars down as they drove by. It was such a blessing watching them serve, and I hope my kids where paying attention!!
After it was all said and done, we made over a thousand dollars! Can you believe that, $1000.00 at a yard sale! Amy and I knew when we started this process that we did not have the money to do what God was calling us to do. However, every step we have needed to take, God has provided us with the resources to take it!
To all those who donated goods to be sold at the sale, to the best brownie troop (and their moms) in the world, to Anita, to those who came and bought stuff at the sale, to our family for working so hard during the sale and the week prior, to those who made additional donations, to those who prayed and participated in any other way, to our village…
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
This past Saturday, we had a fund-raising yard sale which we began planning several weeks ago in an attempt to raise some money to complete our home-study. The home-study is rather expensive and it’s the next big step in our journey to bring Joyce home.
As friends and family began to hear about the yard-sale, they started cleaning out their closets, garages and attics and donating stuff for us to sell. It was really amazing! People started dropping stuff off at Amy’s mom’s house, bringing it to her school and the church, and calling us to come and pick it up. By the time Saturday rolled around, we had enough stuff to open our own little thrift store!
A mother, who has a child in Amy’s class, took some of the pictures we have of Joyce and had a huge poster made with Joyce’s story on it. She had it framed so we could set it up at the yard sale with a donation jar. It was beautiful and we will treasure it forever!
Several of the girls in Amy’s class, who are all in the same Brownie troop, set up a booth and sold lemonade, coffee and homemade baked goods. They made just over $100.00 and donated every penny to us! They also made signs on poster board and stood out in the yard and flagged cars down as they drove by. It was such a blessing watching them serve, and I hope my kids where paying attention!!
After it was all said and done, we made over a thousand dollars! Can you believe that, $1000.00 at a yard sale! Amy and I knew when we started this process that we did not have the money to do what God was calling us to do. However, every step we have needed to take, God has provided us with the resources to take it!
To all those who donated goods to be sold at the sale, to the best brownie troop (and their moms) in the world, to Anita, to those who came and bought stuff at the sale, to our family for working so hard during the sale and the week prior, to those who made additional donations, to those who prayed and participated in any other way, to our village…
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
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