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.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story. I am sure Aster has a very exciting ministry ahead. As do your sons. They have seen love modeled and will carry that on as well. God bless you all.
Love reading your story. I am new to your website and let me tell you that your devotions are such an inspiration to me. Thank you for all you do…….I live in North Carolina as well
WOW! How awesome and amazing! I could only imagine adopting a baby girl! Such an amazing testimony and story you have and are continuing to share! Thank you for sharing!
That was the most beautiful story I have heard..Thank you for sharing it, it was just what I needed to hear today. God Bless you and your family.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story at a time when I need reminded to follow, regardless. May God continue to bless you through all. And I pray for faith like yours to follow His path for us.
There is a family in church that recently adopted two siblings from Ethiopia. Your story has reminded me to continue to pray for them, for you and all adoptive and birth families. The needs are sooooooo great. Thanks for sharing your ah-ha scripture moment. I love how scripture speaks in new ways as we grow in Christ. God bless you, Aster and your whole extended family worldwide. You are a blessing!
This was a beautiful testimony of the arrival of your little blessing. My husband and I are struggling through the adoption process and this testimony gave me some hope. To keep pushing through. Thank you.
How wonderful of God to build a bridge between Aster’s family and yours. He is so awesome!
Thank you for your transparency in sharing your story. What love that mother showed her daughter by giving her to you!! What a masterful plan of God to meet Aster’s needs through your family and to grow you and your family’s faith and Christ-likeness through her!
Renee
I read this post while I was waiting to see a doctor about the results of a medical test and I was a little unsettled, I had just had a difficult conversation with my boss about “my attitude” prior to coming to the appointment.
My mind was flooded with how reapetedly God has rescued and healed me both spiritually and physically.
My spirit was lifted by reading your testimony of God’s Love and Grace.
No matter what the future holds. He will be with me and never let me go. He took a lost broken young woman was in so much pain from the choices she made she would drive her car at night and scream at the top of her lungs an he restored her and gave her a new life and healed her by
Renee I have been so blessed by your sharing your life stories with me. I am so thankful a friend shared “A Confident Heart” with me and I have read your stories, your thoughts on your blog.
Your witness for Christ is a blessing and encourages me. I can’t begin to imagine how hard it was for Aster’s mom to let her go but then the sweet love to know you would love her and care for her the way she couldn’t. Such a sweet picture of your family. Thank you for sharing your heart.
What a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing.
I am simply overwhelmed by Gods goodness, and mercy as I read this story of baby Aster. When I awoke this morning to begin my day, my heart was breaking for our wayward son with multiple issues, but as I read this story my heart began to believe again that our God DOES work all things together for good. How blessed I am to be reminded that if the Almighty of the universe and beyond would hear they cry of that mother’s heart for her child, He would hear my cry for our son. Thank you for sharing and allowing the Lord to work in your lives, and give hope to this heart broken Mama praying for her son.
Thank you for sharing this story and testimony. Aster is a symbol of what obedience to God can do for a person and a family…..
It puts things in perpective for me! Thank you so much for sharing, I feel less guilty knowing that it’s normal to see the hard stuff but that we must turn to God and trust that what matters is that he’s working thing out for me and others and that it’s all part of His glorious plan!!
What a moving story, still continuing. Have friends who have been able to adopt & it’s so neat to see how the have been woven right in as if they were born to them & they the family characterisics taken on either make them resemble one another more either physically or or meld the differences & you see how God has worked:)
Thank you for sharing your story. Romans 8:28 has always been “my verse”. But until I read your story it never occurred to me that God could have meant he would work all things together for “someone elses good”. When my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in late 2006 I claimed “my verse”, believing God would heal him and David would be a walking testimony of God’s power and love. But God had plans other than mine. David died on 3/31/2007 and the only way I could accept my loss and unbelievable grief is that knowing that God healed David in heaven.
Thank You Jesus. I look at these photos and all I can see is love. I thank God for this family and I thank Him for Aster’s birth mother who loved her enough to give her to someone who could give her a better chance than she could have.
What an amazing story! It is indeed difficult to see God’s grace in the hard places. I am in a hard place now, as my Dad appears to be losing his battle with cancer and we are adjusting to my husband’s new schedule with his new job. I just keep praying. It’s all I can do right now.
Thanks for sharing your story and how God worked in your life. I needed to hear that today! I know that God will work things together for good …. I just need to be willing and allow Him to use me for others …
Thank you for sharing such a heart warming story. God is good!
Wow, thank you for sharing this story. It brought tears to my eyes…& fills my heart with so much of His Love that I see through this story. God is amazing, & your family is beautiful. So beautiful 🙂 Aster is going to grow up into a beautiful lady…
Such a good thought that our hard thing may be a part of the good in someone else’s life. That’s a difficult reminder, that life isn’t all about us and our good.
I really needed your devotion today. I realize I need to ask God for help in my relationship with my husband mite than any other.
Thank you very much Renee for sharing. I broke down when I saw Hagere having to separate with her child, every Mom I know can relate, but to know that at least she is in good hands brings alot of comfort.
There’s alot to learn from your story. God bless you always.
This is an amazing story, thanks for sharing. May God bless you and your family as you help this beautiful girl.
What a neat idea—to take what is meant to harm and make jewelry–a reminder of good from evil.
Beautiful!
If only I would keep my mind on Christ when the struggles and hard things pull me to focus on myself and my reliance on my own power. I need to always remember what He has done in the past! He is trustworthy!
Love the jewelry made with bullets! It’s beautiful!
My family comes from Mexico and I have been back and forth all my life on visits and mission trips. What I’ve learned again and again (sometimes I ignore this truth) is that even though I go to bless, I am always the blessed one when I leave. God works for the good of the innocent and His children. Thank you for this post.
I am so thankful that you and your family were willing and vulnerable to God’s leading you to Aster. He is glorified by your obedience. Thank you for being God’s example of trusting HIM no matter what.
Thank you so much for today’s devotion and this blog. I love hearing you on KLOVE. I have a daughter that was born with a partial chromosomal deletion. She is globally developmentally delayed, has overcome tremendous speech delays and now we are working on her physical delays. God is so good! There were some people and even doctors who thought that the would have never come as far as she already has in just the almost 8 short years she has been here. She is an angel sent by God to work many miracles and I am sure Aster is as well.
Thank you for your honesty and compassion! You are amazing! God bless you and your wonderful family!
I think you have a beautiful family. Your post today is a wonderful reminder of how God works through us, even through some of the hardest things we face in life. I would also like to thank you for this timely post. You see, my husband and I had debated (briefly) about adoption. It was never really something we talked about at great length, although we knew it was an option. In the last few months, I have seen several blog posts about international adoptions, all beautiful children. It’s certainly making me feel like God is putting us on the path to an adoption of our own!
Thank you for your beautiful story about your beautiful daughter. Our Father is wonderful in how He has our lives so perfectly orchestrated for good. I have two adopted children. The son’s situation was and still is difficult; which keeps us humbly on our knees in prayer. Our second child adopted, a girl, was born in a women’s prison. She is such a role model for me in her personality and how she see’s the world through faith in her Heavenly Father. Both children are dearly loved and stretch my family and me in our faith walk. All the while thanking our Father for the wonderful love gifts he has given us in these two special children. (as well as our natural 6 children)
Blessings to you and your family.
God bless you for “choosing life” for little Aster. It was wonderful to read your story and to see that I am not the only one who has looked at the “hard” and neglected to remember that our good God DOES work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose!! And I had never really thought about sometimes those whom we love or whose lives we touch being the recipients of the “good”. Thank you for a wonderful post!!
Thank you for sharing your story and abiding faith even when the circumstances are gloomy.
Romans 8:28 is a hope and promise given to us by our ever so loving Father. This scripture has been preached at our church, I read it on two books I am reading, it came up on our women’s ministry meeting, it has been all around me these two weeks and now your testimony. How awesome is our God. We ask for answers and He responds. He has shared this scripture to let me know that my circumstances will never be bigger or mightier than my God. I am greatful for the power of His word and the fullness of the Holy Spirit that He left to comfort, teach, lead us on our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Congratulations and God bless you and your family.
Your adoption story puts the hard things into perspective. And point us to look through them for the good. Thank you for sharing your experience. Blessings to you and your whole family for following God’s lead to bring Aster into your family.
After years of “hard”, culminating in 2014 the hardest year yet from one crisis after another I am worn out .It was good to be reminded of this verse and yet I say, how does constant illness,surgeries,husband’s infidelity ,child’s rebellion and depression, my own depression -how will it work for good? How indeed?.
, I feel like Aster.I want someone to hold me, .Yet I conclude that if indeed if all that results is me closer to God then it is for good.I have also become somewhat more empathetic to others as I appreciate more how hard some people’s lives are. Today has been hard,sleep deprived, persistent pain ,wanting to cry. yet God is still working things out for good. Amazing and comforting. Thank you for the story.
Just one more confirmation that God can and will use all things for His glory…. beauty from ashes! 🙂
Beautiful story. I pray God shows me my purpose. God Bless!
Thank you for sharing your story. I read it twice, the second time seeing the photos of beautiful baby Aster with her birth mother holding her, and I cried. How amazing her sacrifice and how it must have broken her heart, but knowing adoption was the best she could give to her. The love your family gave and continues to give Aster is priceless.
You have no idea how much this post touched me today. My husband and I are actively moving towards adoption as the reality of my infertility is becoming more and more present. I’m so glad that her mother was brave enough to give her child a chance at a better life, and that God has blessed Aster to not only have a self-sacrificing birth mother, but a Godly and loving adoptive mother.
What a beautiful and touching story, thank you for sharing it and such wonderful pictures. such a nice read and devo on P31. God bless you and your family!
Thank you. I needed this reminder today in the midst of the hardest thing I have ever done. Thank you.
Your story blessed my heart. And the theme is so true. God certainly does work everything out for good even when we can’t see it for a long time filled with sacrifices and pain. That’s what happened to me when my husband decided to go into business for himself. Even though the business did well for a start-up, after paying business expenses, there was no money left to bring home. We soon lost our beautiful home and had to sell most of our earthly possessions and leave behind all of our friends and activities. Even though our family of five still had each other (which was a blessing), I cried for a week when we moved to a small town (where rent in a substandard home was affordable) about 25 miles away. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. In a few years, God connected me with people who encouraged me to take a job that I didn’t believe I was capable of doing. Even though I told the company people I didn’t qualify, they said, ‘you’re hired!!” It was all God’s doing, and it turned out to be a fantastic career of 38 years. Through this job, I often was also able to serve the Lord many times by sharing Christians’ testimony to an audience of about 50,000 readers. Praise God!
I know I can look back at those tough times and see how God worked thing together for His good! I see His set of footprints in the sand. I know I can rely on Him to look out for my best interest regardless of my interests.
Thank you for sharing. Such a tender story of how your sons stepped in to help out. The love you have given to a little girl is so precious. She is a very beautiful, special little girl and so fortunate that God gave her to your family to love.
I am so touched by this story. I am a music teacher in a public school and many times I have felt the need to adopt families or groups of students in order to provide what they need. I am so blessed in my life even though I am not money rich, I am spiritually rich and that is all I need.
Aster has grown into a beautiful girl. I pray that God will continue to show His glory through the development of Aster. God be praised