Jeremiah 29:11 is a very familiar verse to Christians and non-Christians alike. We here it all the time or see it on cute little posters and we just read over it .....like....oh yes, that is a cute little saying but ya know it is really worth reading every word of it.
Here it is: 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 a hope and a future."
Now of course this is what the Lord was saying to all those exiled form Babylon but we can apply it to our lives today.
Joseph and I are know that God has a plan for our lives. Right now at this moment, we know that it is adopting this little one. By the way....I don't think we have told you on this blog but it is a little girl. We are going to name her Elizabeth Grace....Elizabeth means consecrated to God and Grace....well it is by God's grace that she will be in our lives.....Anyway back on track....It is tough to think that we are adopting. It's not tough knowing that we are adopting but that something might happen and it could fall through. But you know when we look at the next part of the verse it states that God plans to prosper you and not to harm you.....we just cling to the fact that God is not going to harm us in this situation. God knows our every thought about this adoption, everything that we are totally excited for, everything that we are totally freaked out about.....but God is not going to harm us in this process.
The next part of the verse it says that He plans to give us a hope and future. I know ya'll know that we have been concerned about the $$$ aspect of this adoption. God has given us this hope over the entire process that the future with Elizabeth Grace will happen and that He is in control of all things with this adoption even finances. You won't believe this but we raised over $2100 at a garage sale for our adoption. Now who in their right mind has ever heard of earning that much at a yard sale.....I haven't until now. But God gave us hope about our future in that yard sale....that He is in control and once again we are not. Then this week we have gotten things squared away with our attorney, we have been given the green light on the home study, we have been in contact with some wonderful men that are mission specialists who are going to help us with a fish fry in February and they have donated their labor for free, we have people all over the place praying for us, we have a God that loves us so much that He has given us this hope that Elizabeth Grace will be home with us in just a few short months. So we are clinging to that hope and looking ahead to our future with Elizabeth Grace. We are just praying that we will be parents that teach her all about the Lord. We are praying that she comes to a saving faith at an early age and that she will serve the Lord all the days of her life ....So that is our hope and future right now.
I would like to challenge you in your walk with the Lord. What is your hope and future? Is it with the Lord or is it with the world and worldly successes? Do you see that God has a plan to prosper you and not to harm you? When God is prospering you....do you give God the glory and the glory to His kingdom?
Please keep us in your prayers for the home study that starts on January 17th. Pray that all of the paperwork will get done quickly. Please pray for the birth mother, she has to be dealing with all kinds of emotions, and pray for Elizabeth Grace that she will be healthy.
We love you all,
Kathy and Joseph
