Have you ever wondered how God could work all things together for good in your life? Maybe you’re in a situation that feels impossible, a marriage that is unraveling, a job environment that is unhealthy and all you can see is HARD.
In my Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion today, I share how I wrestled with this in the midst of very difficult circumstances during and after our daughter’s adoption, and the ways God showed me HOW He was working things for “good” in unexpected ways.
If you hopped over from my devotion, I’m so glad you stopped by! As promised, here are a few photos that tell part of the story of us bringing our beautiful girl home. {And there’s special giveaway at the end of this post.}
All I could see were the hard parts. Everything we would have to give up: sleep, money, comfort, familiarity, others’ approval. All the hard things we would have to navigate: huge expenses and significant changes.
What if our sons resented us for re-arranging their lives forever? What if our parents and extended family didn’t approve? What if we exhausted our time, emotions and money only to end up with broken hearts and an empty bank account? How could God work all that together for good?
I could not see how. I could only see “hard.” Yet we knew God was calling our family to adopt a severely malnourished baby girl from Ethiopia. And in October 2009 we brought Aster home.
Was it hard? Yes. Even more than I imagined.
But as I trace God’s hand over the past five years since we brought Aster home, I see Him working countless things {together} for good. Most of all, I see a handwritten love letter sent to our little girl from her Heavenly Father, written on every page of our adoption story.
I see God working the hard things together for good. Despite our inadequacy, sadness and fear of the unknown when Aster was diagnosed with a speech disorder, global developmental delays, low muscle tone and sensory processing disorder, I now see God working it all for good.
I see God working the overwhelming things together for good. A year of sleepless nights brought out servant-hearted compassion in our teenage sons when they saw their dad struggling with depression caused by sleep-deprivation. I’ll never forget the night they decided to take turns sleeping on a mattress in their sister’s room to relieve her anxiety and give us back our desperately needed sleep.
I see God working even the embarrassing things together for good. Like the day I had a meltdown in my car and a stranger tapped on my window to see if I was okay. And that same afternoon, I ran out of gas on my way to get my youngest son at basketball which mean my oldest son, who had a new cast on his broken foot, had to push our car off the road. I see awesome stories for them to tell their children about me one day.
When my reality doesn’t look or feel like “good” to me, I ask God to help me see how. How he is keeping his promise that “in all things [He] works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Roman 8:28).
What I’ve discovered is this: God is always working things together for good, but not just for our good. Sometimes we are part of His working things together for someone else’s good.
You see, I believe Jesus heard a mother in Africa praying for her baby. A mother who was living in the middle of “hard” like I’d never imagined. A mother who couldn’t see how she could give her little girl the nurture and nutrition she needed.
Hagere: Aster’s birth-mother feeding her during our visit.
And when God heard that mama’s prayers, He tapped on the heart of a family in North Carolina who loved Him and were called according to His purpose. I also believe God saw an orphanage in Ethiopia searching for a forever family to provide unconditional love and medical care for a 6-month old, 8 pound baby with pneumonia.
So Jesus went back to that family in North Carolina who had been asking God to reveal Himself to them and through them, knowing this little girl would be an answer to that prayer.
And that’s when God started working the hard, impossible, and overwhelming things {together} for good.
Is there a relationship or situation in your life where all you see is hard? Have you asked God how He can work some part of it together for good?
I don’t know about you, but some days I need a tangible reminder that He can. A visual that prompts me to pray and helps me remember how He does, like the beautiful bead necklace I’m wearing below made from repurposed bullets found in the rubble of Ethiopian soil.
Each time I look at it, I remember how God answered a desperate mother’s prayers for her baby and filled my family’s longing to experience more of Him. Only He could know how much we needed the gift of a little girl to light up our world, and to remind us that He indeed can work even the hardest things {together} for good.
ENTER TO WIN To celebrate how Jesus takes the hard and heart-breaking realities of life and works them together for good, Proverbs 31 Ministries is partnering with Fashion & Compassion to create a beautiful jewelry line from repurposed bullets found in the rubble of Ethiopian soil. “SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS” under this post and you’ll be entered to win.
The From Bullets to Blessings Collection is handcrafted from Ethiopian bullets, dug out of rubble, and assembled by vulnerable and rescued women throughout Mexico and Charlotte, NC. CLICK HERE to find out more about the collection and the women who create these pieces. It’s a beautiful picture of God working the hard things together for good in their lives through Fashion & Compassion.
I have been asking God how any good could come from all the circumstances I have been having to face in my life. I have wondered if I am a poor student who He is having a hard time teaching me. Your devotion was very uplifting to me. Thank you so much for sharing your heart, God Bless you and all those you love. <3
Dearest Renee,
Thank you for sharing Aster’s adoption story with us! I am a single woman, who due to abuse suffered as a child, had to have a total hysterectomy at the age of 20. I will be 48 in 29 days, on the 31st of this month. I just relocated from FL, the Sunshine state, to Michigan, on November 10, 2014 with two suitcases of belongings, to be obedient to God. Currently, I’m facing many challenges, but God is stretching me, and growing me for His Divine purpose, so I can fulfill the purpose He created me for, when He formed me in my mother’s womb!
Growing up as I did, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, EXCEPT a MOM! I dreamed of having about 13 children, or more, if God would allow me to! Now you already know this wasn’t the case. About three years ago, I was looking into adoption, and discovered that most adoption agencies won’t give a single woman the time of day, and one who’s over the age of 45, well, let’s just say that my investigation into the process caused me to “give up” on having my own child. I grieved the loss of my own child, once again, and did my best to move on with my life. BUT GOD…..
I have a friend, and dear Sister in Christ, who owns her own international adoption agency in FL. This past December 8, 2014, I noticed a couple of pictures on her Facebook page. The post, and photos, were about her recent trip to Tanzania, for her first adoption in that country! In fact, she was commenting while in the Atlanta, GA airport, awaiting the boarding of the last leg of her flight home from Tanzania! I asked her if someone of my age, and being single, could adopt? I even said, “I don’t really know why I’m even asking you this question.” Much to my amazement, she told me that age wasn’t a factor, and that her lawyer was petitioning the court to allow singles to adopt. She went on to say that he made a point to tell her that, right before she left to return to the US! She said, “I believe God was giving me this information JUST FOR YOU!” I immediately began to sob uncontrollably, and felt completely overwhelmed by God’s LOVE!
The total cost to adopt a child from Tanzania, is about $25,000. This dear Sister offered to give me her services for whatever her cost was, along with helping me to obtain grants. I am not in any position financially, to adopt just yet, today. But God…well, let’s just say, where He guides, He provides! And, His word tells us in Mt. 19:26 that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE for GOD! So, if He wants to give me the desires of my heart, by giving me a child from Tanzania, or any other country; and it’s His will, then I’m willing to do everything necessary to make it happen!
Will you please keep me in your prayers, concerning this matter, Renee? I sure would appreciate it! Feel free to share my prayer request with any friends who might not mind praying for me too! I am going to be ordering your book, “A Confident Heart”, and have downloaded the “7 Day Doubt Diet”. I just began reading the 7 Day Doubt Diet tonight, along with chapter 1 of A Confident Heart. I am VERY EAGER and EXCITED to become the CONFIDENT woman, God created me to be! I’ve already taken the Doubt Analysis, and am not surprised with the results which explain what a problem self doubt is in my life!
I “AM” confident about one thing: I serve an AWESOME, LOVING, MIGHTY, OMNIPOTENT GOD!! And, He promises to return to me what the locusts have eaten! Double for my trouble! I’ve been on two international mission trips, one to Honduras, as a member of a 12 person team to serve at a Christian School and Mission (we were gone a total of 7 da ys); and one to Cambodia, with God, for 23 days in country, to love an orphanage of 75 children, and serve God at the Christian school next door, of 412 children, ages Kindergarten to 12th grade. So, I believe that God can work a miracle in my life, by changing my finances from “barely enough to OVERFLOWING” if He chooses!
I did send my friend an email that I wasn’t going to fill out the application, and additional paperwork just yet; that I wanted to be in a better position financially, before proceeding. Maybe I did this because of my vast amounts of self doubt! At any rate, I am 100% certain, that God created me for a purpose, and that my breakthrough/my blessing, is right around the corner! I will keep you informed about my progress with self doubt, and learning to walk with “A Confident Heart!”
With much appreciation and love in HIM,
Janice
Your story reminds me greatly of my beloved grandparents. After my mother’s second divorce. My grandparents took in three very scared kids. Myself, my sister and my brother. They were seeing their youngest child leave high school and join the Air Force during the Vietnam War. My mother left a very dangerous situation with my mentally ill father and went across country from CA to NC with us. I was greatly blessed to of had my grandparents in my life and didn’t realize what they had to give up to care for us and take us in. I pray that God blesses you and your family continually for doing his will.
Renee, thank you so much for this message! I was talking to God about this very thing last night and this morning. All I could see was the ‘hard’. Thank you for turning my eyes, and my perspective, back to the one who works all things for good, even when I can’t see it.
Mahalo for that testimony. Your stories are an inspiration! It has certainly made an impact in my walk with Jesus! Aloha!
Such a powerful testimony. Aster is absolutely beautiful! I am believing God is working all things together for good in our own family as we unravel the future for our son Chase who will be 5 in January and has been diagnosed with autism and a micro-deletion of his 15th chromosome. He is unable to communicate and as you know finding the best for what your child specifically needs is not always crystal clear when dealing with developmental delays (well..or at all for that matter)… But I’m clinging to Daniel 2:21&22 “He changes the times and seasons; He removes Kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom and knowledge to those who have understanding! He reveals the deep and secret things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells in Him!”
Renee,
What Wonderful pictures and a Wonderful story about the Adoption and Your Blessing !!
I watched the webcast tonight with you all and Max Lucado. It was Wonderful. I’m doing the bible study.as well. It struck a chord when you were talking about your son turning from his Faith. My 14 year old twins(boy and Girl) chose to go live with their father, my Ex Husband , and my present husband and me have not seen them since May 29. We have been communicating via email, but it has been my choice , with God’s help, to not see them. It is very hurtful what both kids did in court May 28 th and even prior. I am trusting that God is in control and will reveal the next step. I feel my daughter’s eyes are being opened to the TRUTH and that she is drawing close to God. My Ex is not a Christian so the kids have gotten away from God by living with him…. This has been so Heartbreaking , but I know what they have meant as evil, God will turn it to GOOD. I love them and Pray without Ceasing. I am at Peace more now than ever and closer to God !!! Thanks so much for your Ministry !!!!
Thank you for sharing this story with us. I am a birth mom who gave up her daughter at 18. I can relate when you say you look back and see God’s hand and faithfulness in all HE does. HE promised if I turned my situation over to HIM, I would be blessed as well as I also had HIS forgiveness. My daughter is now 34 and I have had a wonderful relationship with her for 8 yrs. I have also been married for 33 yrs and have a beautiful daughter and son as part of this marriage. God has blessed not only me, but my 1st daughters adoptive family as well. HE takes ALL things and uses them for HIS Good!
I am here because my niece shared this on her FB. While I am in no way facing what fellow Christians in Ethiopia are facing, I am facing a very desperate time here in the US. I am trying to keep things in perspective at this time, and with the Lord’s help, and this is a real blessing to me. Thank you for sharing.
A dear friend sent me an email about your family’s journey.Thank God for such caring people! I am so glad you shared your story.It gives me new hope and a much needed reminder that I needed to remember. We have a grandchild who is in rehab Again. He has just become a new father and I pray for his girlfriend also. I just feel so concerned for his parents and want to make things work out for everyone. But just now feel as if I am of no help… so you see why your story brought me a miracle today!
Amazing story of God’s perfect timing!
A beautiful and touching story. Thank you for sharing from your heart. And for you and your family being a wonderful example to others to open and their hearts and minds to what God is telling them to do. Especially if it’s out of ones normal comfort zone.
This scripture verse is one of my favorites. God has used this verse to show me how a very difficult situation in my childhood worked for good. I can share with other women who have experienced sexual abuse. I can relate and share with them and help them see how God has worked in my life. God has always
been faithful to me. I want to show Jesus in me in hopes that others will see Him. I will praise His name forever.
Adoption is such a beautiful illistration of God bringing us into His family and calling us His sons and daughters, and caring and providing for us even when we don’t make things easy!
Thank you for sharing your story. We have been in a hard situation now for almost a year where my husband is unemployed but we continue standing on God’s promises and know that He will provide for us and will provide the right job in His timing not ours. It has been Hard and not easy I must say at times, we get discouraged but God continually reminds us that He will not forsake us. Thank you for this reminder today. I love P31 and read your devotions each day.