From Chris:
Amy and I are embarking on a God-inspired journey that has been over fourteen years in the making. Actually, it has been in the making since before the foundations of the earth were ever laid by our great and glorious God.
When Amy and I were married in June of 1995, it did not enter our minds that we would still be childless fourteen years later. Honestly, when we were first married, children were not on my radar screen at all. I wanted to have Amy to myself for a few years. Five years after we wed, in the year 2000, we both agreed that we were ready to start a family (Amy had been ready for at least two years before that). Little did we know that nine years later, we would still be childless. There have been many difficult questions in these nine years about God’s plans and God’s purposes for us as a family. Amy especially, has grieved greatly over our barrenness and I have struggled to know how to comfort and love her through her pain. I know that during these years, many of you have faithfully prayed that God would bless us with children. Thank you. God is faithful. He has not abandoned us and He has not forsaken us.
God is sovereign. Our barrenness did not catch Him by surprise. Satan did not “pull a fast one” on God. God has not been wringing His hands over our situation for the past nine years. God has been in complete control of our barrenness from day one.1 Amy and I believe that God has sovereignly ordained our barrenness for one purpose and one purpose only: To glorify Himself. Wait, you say; how can barrenness glorify God? While I certainly don’t presume to know all of the answers to that question, I believe that God’s purpose in all things is to glorify Himself. We may not understand all of God’s ways, but He is God and we are not. He does not do things the way that we would do them. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
God has brought us to this time and place in our lives for a reason. We believe that the past years of barrenness have been preparation for the next chapter in our lives. Amy and I believe that God has a child (or perhaps more than one child) that He has prepared for us. We believe that that child has already been born into this world (or that he or she will soon be born into this world). We believe that it is no accident that God led Amy and me to go to Ukraine in May of 2006 on a mission trip with our church. On that trip, we were exposed to children living in cramped orphanages in conditions of poverty and hopelessness.
Amy and I now believe that God is leading us to adopt one or more children from the country of Ukraine. He has led us to apply through Lifeline Children’s Services, an adoption agency located here in Birmingham. We will be having an adoption home study completed within a few weeks, and hope to have a child placed in our home within 12 to 18 months. We praise God for His faithfulness to us, and for leading us in this way. We covet your prayers and support as we begin our adoption journey. More to come, later.
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1 If you have a hard time believing that God is sovereign over barrenness, I challenge you to look up all the scripture references in the Bible relating to barrenness. Notice how many times it refers to the LORD being the one who opens or closes the womb of the barren. I am not convinced that barrenness in and of itself is an evil thing. However, even if you make the argument that barrenness is evil in and of itself, and that Satan is the direct cause of barrenness in some or all situations, and that God merely allows it, you still must realize that Satan is on a leash (see Job 1 and 2). Satan is merely a pawn in the hands of the Almighty God. Ultimately, God uses Satan to accomplish His own sovereign purposes. (Notice how in both Job 1 and Job 2, God is the one who initiates the conversation with Satan about Job. God is omniscient and He knew exactly what Satan would say in response to His questions about Job. God used Satan to accomplish His own purposes in and through Job’s life.)
Amy and I are embarking on a God-inspired journey that has been over fourteen years in the making. Actually, it has been in the making since before the foundations of the earth were ever laid by our great and glorious God.
When Amy and I were married in June of 1995, it did not enter our minds that we would still be childless fourteen years later. Honestly, when we were first married, children were not on my radar screen at all. I wanted to have Amy to myself for a few years. Five years after we wed, in the year 2000, we both agreed that we were ready to start a family (Amy had been ready for at least two years before that). Little did we know that nine years later, we would still be childless. There have been many difficult questions in these nine years about God’s plans and God’s purposes for us as a family. Amy especially, has grieved greatly over our barrenness and I have struggled to know how to comfort and love her through her pain. I know that during these years, many of you have faithfully prayed that God would bless us with children. Thank you. God is faithful. He has not abandoned us and He has not forsaken us.
God is sovereign. Our barrenness did not catch Him by surprise. Satan did not “pull a fast one” on God. God has not been wringing His hands over our situation for the past nine years. God has been in complete control of our barrenness from day one.1 Amy and I believe that God has sovereignly ordained our barrenness for one purpose and one purpose only: To glorify Himself. Wait, you say; how can barrenness glorify God? While I certainly don’t presume to know all of the answers to that question, I believe that God’s purpose in all things is to glorify Himself. We may not understand all of God’s ways, but He is God and we are not. He does not do things the way that we would do them. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
God has brought us to this time and place in our lives for a reason. We believe that the past years of barrenness have been preparation for the next chapter in our lives. Amy and I believe that God has a child (or perhaps more than one child) that He has prepared for us. We believe that that child has already been born into this world (or that he or she will soon be born into this world). We believe that it is no accident that God led Amy and me to go to Ukraine in May of 2006 on a mission trip with our church. On that trip, we were exposed to children living in cramped orphanages in conditions of poverty and hopelessness.
Amy and I now believe that God is leading us to adopt one or more children from the country of Ukraine. He has led us to apply through Lifeline Children’s Services, an adoption agency located here in Birmingham. We will be having an adoption home study completed within a few weeks, and hope to have a child placed in our home within 12 to 18 months. We praise God for His faithfulness to us, and for leading us in this way. We covet your prayers and support as we begin our adoption journey. More to come, later.
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1 If you have a hard time believing that God is sovereign over barrenness, I challenge you to look up all the scripture references in the Bible relating to barrenness. Notice how many times it refers to the LORD being the one who opens or closes the womb of the barren. I am not convinced that barrenness in and of itself is an evil thing. However, even if you make the argument that barrenness is evil in and of itself, and that Satan is the direct cause of barrenness in some or all situations, and that God merely allows it, you still must realize that Satan is on a leash (see Job 1 and 2). Satan is merely a pawn in the hands of the Almighty God. Ultimately, God uses Satan to accomplish His own sovereign purposes. (Notice how in both Job 1 and Job 2, God is the one who initiates the conversation with Satan about Job. God is omniscient and He knew exactly what Satan would say in response to His questions about Job. God used Satan to accomplish His own purposes in and through Job’s life.)
How beautiful to see such a heartwrenching difficulty become a wonderful blessing! That is what has happened in our life too.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you said, "God is sovereign. Our barrenness did not catch Him by surprise." That is so true!!!
Glad to hear that you're beginning the adoption process and will be praying for you both!
-Ashley