Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Walking Into The Unknown


Mama, hanging out with her little buddy, Silas! What a precious gift from Jesus!


Daddy taking little Silas to new heights!


Mommy and Silas in the room they've been hanging out in for two weeks with the boys! Quarters are tight but filled with lots of love!



Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

This verse has a whole new depth of meaning for me after being in Ukraine for the last 2 weeks fighting, working, and waiting for our boys redemption. I looked at Renee last night and said, “You know, we really don’t know anything.” We couldn’t control which boys would end up being our sons. The Lord decided that for us. Why these three boys? Why not others? I have a few ideas but mostly, I don’t know. I don’t have to know. That’s the beauty of the mystery of faith. Only the Lord knows what these three little boys will do to our lives and to all those around us. Only He knows who they will become and what they are capable of. He has deep and purposeful reasons for joining us with these three little ones but He has hidden most of those reasons from us. It is God’s glory to conceal a matter, and our glory to search it out and discover it (Prov 25:2).

As humans, we don’t like the unknown. We hate not being in control. We despise having to be dependant. Yet, this is what most of life is like when we follow Jesus. Oh, you can shrink back and try to figure everything out and not make any moves until you do, but you’ll find yourself tied up in knots in the corner of fear, paralyzed and immobile. You’ll be in control, but in control of what? You’ll be in control of your own inactivity and stagnancy, the master of your own swamp.

If we want the life and adventure of God to flow through our lives, it requires faith. Faith is believing God will reward us when we diligently seek and obey Him, even when we have little understanding. Listen to God’s words, and obey. Don’t over-think His commands, don’t rationalize His ways, don’t break obedience into 1000 easy steps. If you do this, you will never get around to really obeying and taking a risk based upon His word. There is only one response that releases the wild life and adventure of the King of Kings …. LEAP!

Hear His word and leap into obedience with all your questions and fears. It’s terrifying. It’s wild. It’s exciting. It’s costly. But it’s LIVING! It’s only by leaping that we begin to search out and discover the treasures that our King has concealed. The thing I love about adoption is that there is no going back. Once you’re in, all the bridges are burned. You either struggle through it and find God, or you die, and for this wayward heart, that’s a good place to be. We’ve backed ourselves into a corner where the only way to survive is to wholeheartedly depend upon God …. Ahh, the beauty of simplicity.

9 comments:

Arden Campbell Czaszewicz said...

Your leap of faith is amazing! May HE bless you with everything you will need to care for these precious ones whom He has chosen to bless you with! Thank you for your radical walk of love, faith and grace!

Randy Bohlender said...

OK, I'm calling it here and now. Derek is going to blog when he gets home. This one-time adventure is going to get him hooked, and he's too good of a writer not to. :)

sarahjohns said...

Wow, you folks make me feel like anything is possible, hey that's scriptural! Your boys are so precious and what a treat that you got to spend time with Aiden too! Soon ? they'll all be home together!! I can't wait to see pics of the girls with their brothers!!

sarahjohns said...

Oops, I meant anything is possible, with God!
BTW, where's the spikey hair? LOL!

Telma Navia Loux said...

WHOA Mama, looking PRETTY!!!! You too dad =) Can't wait to see you!! Hope to soon. I'm missing your hugs and kisses everyday! And dad, I'm missing our sonic times ;) You guys are the best!!

marvin adams said...

so excited for you guys. we're praying every day for you! hopefully will see you end of December.

Chris and Mary Malone said...

We are are SO happy for you guys. We can't wait till we're there playing with our boys and telling them we love them and singing and dancing with them!

It's amazing that the same place we see in the pictures of you, we'll be there with Matthew!

The Loux Family said...

Love to you all! Your support and love is such a blessing to us and a true encouragement.

Oh, and Randy, yes, Derek is a great writer, he needs to blog! I've been trying to get him to for a long time.

Blessings to you all!

Renee'

Karen said...

Oh yeah, I so agree!!! Thank you, I needed to hear this!

thinking about you all and praying.