Adoption-Size Faith Nuggets - Encouragement Café - June 5, 2017

Adoption-Size Faith Nuggets
By Noelle Dey

Monday, June 5, 2017

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NIV

It was inevitable… and I dreaded the thought of it.  Although we had been 100 percent open about Sierra being adopted, it wasn’t until she was seven years old when she asked,

So, I didn’t just come from an orphanage?  I came from someone’s tummy?

I still cry when I relive Sierra’s tear-filled questions.  With her voice trembling, she asked,

How could a Mommy possibly let go of her baby?

Our answers came with agonizing emotions.

It’s our best guess that your birth Mommy is a faith-filled woman.  It is illegal to get pregnant in China without a permit, and it is illegal to abandon your baby.  So, your birth Mommy had faith that she would be protected through her pregnancy. 

When she carefully placed you in a box at the west side of a market, she must have had faith that someone would find you quickly and take you to the authorities.

She had faith that you would be placed in a loving orphanage home… faith that our hearts were being prepared to become your Mommy and Daddy… faith that we would love you with a love deeper than words can describe. 

Sierra, your birth Mommy must have had so much faith because we guarantee that when she held you for the first time, she thought, “I’ve never seen such a beautiful baby girl… how can I possibly let go?”  There’s no other explanation for her actions besides God’s sovereignty and her faith.

For Sierra’s birth Mom, I doubt she could have imagined that her precious daughter’s life would turn out as amazing as it has.  But, she did have to take faith-filled actions to make it possible.

And for us?  Our family now has to pray and believe in faith that her emotions are being healed… faith that she either already knows Jesus intimately, or that she will, even though she lives in a society where Buddhism, Taoism and folk religions are the dominant beliefs.

We need to have faith that we will see this beautiful, courageous lady in heaven so we can hold her tight and profusely thank her for the gift she gave us - the gift of raising a daughter whom we couldn’t love more.

Undoubtedly we all want to have the heroic faith that we imagine our daughter’s birth Mom must have had.

So, why is it so darn difficult to hold tight to our hope when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel?  For me, I read God’s whispers in Jeremiah 29:11 which promise that God has plans to prosper and not harm me.  He has good plans and a good future in store for me.  But honestly I think,

Me?  Really?  Hmm, I’m not sure.

Have you ever had that kind of doubt?

But what would happen if we took His Word as it should be taken… as TRUTH?

Do you have a desire deep in your heart which is calling you to flex your faith muscles?  If you leave a comment, I’ll pray with you as we flex our faith together. 

Let’s stand firm with each other and believe God’s promises even when things don’t make sense in our minds.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us so many examples of people who flexed their faith muscles in Hebrews 11.  Thank You that none of those people were perfect… in fact they were very human just like us.  Lord, You know our deepest hearts’ desires.  You have good plans for us!  Help us to be faith-filled and believe what You say.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.  Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV

© 2017 by Noelle Dey. All rights reserved.

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Originally published Monday, 05 June 2017.

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