Through the fire

In my job, there are times that I have to give good people really bad news. As someone that works in adoption, it falls on me to tell a family if an expectant mom has changed her mind and decided to parent her child, and to tell families that she chose a different family. These are hard conversations to have because often, I am hopeful for the family. I want to see them grow their families and I know how hard they have prayed for a child.

It is on those days that I am so thankful for my faith, and the trust I have in God. While I am talking with families, I can hold on to so many promises that come from the word.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

I know that God’s plans are so much bigger than we could even imagine. I know that He is good.

The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. Psalm 145:8-9

In the midst of trying times, of times where it is hard to see where God is moving, we have to make a decision to trust Him. While I have not been the one hearing that the baby we dreamed about, prayed about and prepared for is not coming home with us; I have had times too where God seemed so far away, where it seemed like everything I thought He had for me was taken away. I do not ever try and tell a family that I know how they feel, because I have not been there. I acknowledge that it is hard, that maybe it just sucks. However, the promises of God are where I draw us back. I can remind them that God is good, and God is sovereign, and while we may not understand the purpose, that this is a piece of something far bigger than we can even imagine and maybe if we are lucky one day we will see the picture more complete and how these events have impacted other things.

I think that people adopting, have to have a double fisted faith. Like that found in Daniel when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego promclaimed that they would not bow.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18

They proclaimed, we know God can do it, but even if He does not we will serve Him. In the midst of the fire, God was with them, and when they came out they did not even smell like smoke. However, I wonder, as they were being taken into the furnace, what was going through their minds? I think maybe they were thinking, well God decided not to save us, but we still trust Him. I wonder if they had doubts as they were making their way into the furnace. I wonder as they saw that the temperature was being set higher than normal if they thought, maybe we made a mistake along the way. I wonder if until that fire started and they felt the heat they worried. Then, in the midst of feeling like they were going to be destroyed, God shows up and spends time with them in the fire and hangs out with them. They were tied up and thrown in, and then they are seen untied and walking around with the fourth person. It was in the fire, that God’s glory was seen by the very one who threw them in the fire.  Let’s look at the end of the story.

 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,  and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.  Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:26-30

For a man than considered himself to be a god, look how his attitude changed. Not only were they saved from the fire. the power of God was given a platform in a society that did not know Him.  Bonus, they were promoted as well.

For those of us being thrown into the fire, we need to remember to trust that God is there with us.

Bonus:

Friends, I am heading to Congo this summer. Please click here to learn more about all that we are going to be doing and to support through prayer and finances.