Over the past few months, the Lord has taught me and Courtney a lot about waiting well. Many times I wait, but I do not wait well. I wait impatiently. I wait hesitantly. I wait anxiously. That is not what we are called to. We are called to wait well. We are to wait with anticipation, with patience, and with an unending trust in God. And we do this because we wait on nothing in this world… we wait on the Lord.
Scripture is full of stories of those who waited. Abraham and Sarah waited for 25 years before they saw the promise fulfilled. The Israelites had to wander through the desert for 40 years before they made their way to the Promised Land. Simeon waited his entire life waiting for the promised Messiah to come.
Waiting well is hard. I want the Lord to move, because I know He can. I want Him to show Himself, because He has before. I want Him to do it and do it now, because I think that is what is best for everyone involved. However, He alone is God. His will is perfect and therefore, so is His timing.
We do not want to be like Abraham and Sarah and make our own plan when God doesn’t seem to be moving fast enough. We do not want to be like the Israelites and grumble and complain as the Lord leads us through the desert. We want to be found like Simeon, living out our calling until the promise is fulfilled. We want to be found faithful.
And so we claim Psalm 33:20-22, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”
As the last few months have been full of waiting, this week is no different. Wednesday and Thursday, April 17 & 18, the Russ*an government has agreed to have high, expert-level meetings with the US State Department on the topic of American families who were already in the process of adoption before January 1, 2013. This weekend has been a war of the “lists” for Russ*a and the US. On Friday the US released their list of 18 names on the Magnitsky List (that started all of this madness in December) and then on Saturday, Russ*a released their own list in retaliation. These actions have made tensions between the US and Russ*a even stronger as we head into the week of conversations.
So we ask to join us in prayer. Pray that these meetings will actually happen and that they are fruitful. Pray that both governments are willing to listen and realize that orphans are not a pawn in their political games. Most importantly, more than anything else, pray that God’s will be done in and through this discussions.
Pray also for the people of Russ*a, that the Lord would reveal Himself and send His messengers to that field. While we earnestly wait for the day that Josiah gets to call Tennessee home, there is a day we wait for with even greater anticipation, and that is the day that Josiah calls Jesus his Savior. Whether that is here or in Russ*a, it will be a day we will celebrate.
We are grateful for you. For your willingness to pray for us and for our son. For the way that you love us. For the way that you are not only praying for Josiah, but praying for orphans around the world. For the way that you are being the body of Christ to us as we wait on the Lord. And so now, let us wait together, knowing that our God can do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine.
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”
Scripture is full of stories of those who waited. Abraham and Sarah waited for 25 years before they saw the promise fulfilled. The Israelites had to wander through the desert for 40 years before they made their way to the Promised Land. Simeon waited his entire life waiting for the promised Messiah to come.
Waiting well is hard. I want the Lord to move, because I know He can. I want Him to show Himself, because He has before. I want Him to do it and do it now, because I think that is what is best for everyone involved. However, He alone is God. His will is perfect and therefore, so is His timing.
We do not want to be like Abraham and Sarah and make our own plan when God doesn’t seem to be moving fast enough. We do not want to be like the Israelites and grumble and complain as the Lord leads us through the desert. We want to be found like Simeon, living out our calling until the promise is fulfilled. We want to be found faithful.
And so we claim Psalm 33:20-22, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”
As the last few months have been full of waiting, this week is no different. Wednesday and Thursday, April 17 & 18, the Russ*an government has agreed to have high, expert-level meetings with the US State Department on the topic of American families who were already in the process of adoption before January 1, 2013. This weekend has been a war of the “lists” for Russ*a and the US. On Friday the US released their list of 18 names on the Magnitsky List (that started all of this madness in December) and then on Saturday, Russ*a released their own list in retaliation. These actions have made tensions between the US and Russ*a even stronger as we head into the week of conversations.
So we ask to join us in prayer. Pray that these meetings will actually happen and that they are fruitful. Pray that both governments are willing to listen and realize that orphans are not a pawn in their political games. Most importantly, more than anything else, pray that God’s will be done in and through this discussions.
Pray also for the people of Russ*a, that the Lord would reveal Himself and send His messengers to that field. While we earnestly wait for the day that Josiah gets to call Tennessee home, there is a day we wait for with even greater anticipation, and that is the day that Josiah calls Jesus his Savior. Whether that is here or in Russ*a, it will be a day we will celebrate.
We are grateful for you. For your willingness to pray for us and for our son. For the way that you love us. For the way that you are not only praying for Josiah, but praying for orphans around the world. For the way that you are being the body of Christ to us as we wait on the Lord. And so now, let us wait together, knowing that our God can do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine.
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”
Josh and Courtney
So thankful for a glimmer of hope! I will be praying with you this week.
ReplyDeleteFollowing Christ can be so hard. Sometimes I look around and feel like there are very few people who are willing to be "all in," no matter the cost. For this reason, there are few things that are more encouraging to me personally than seeing brothers and sisters who genuinely praise God in the midst of suffering. It fills me with courage to bear the things that God sees fit to let me suffer. I know that you are in a season when you desperately need the Body of Christ, but I hope you can see that you are also being the Body of Christ. I hope it is some measure of encouragement to know that your suffering is bearing fruit in the lives of other believers.
ReplyDeleteYou are loved!