In The Face of Adversity

Although my current condition doesn't present a ton of adversity...I chased a rabbit down this path in my Bible study time this morning. I believe it is important for me to continuously meditate on these types of scriptures, even during the good times. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith come by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

Proverbs 24:10
If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. AMP

Proverbs 24:10
If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place. MSG

Psalm 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. AMP

"Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds." - Orison Sweet Marden

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” –MLK Jr.

Psalm 94:12-16

12 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law,

13 That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.

14 For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage.

15 For justice will return to the [uncompromisingly] righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

Isaiah 30:20-21

20 And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes will constantly behold your Teacher.

21 And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.

Father's Day

I must admit, I never fully understood what this holiday celebrated on the third Sunday in June truly meant until this year. I have always bought my dad a card and gave him a customary “Happy Father’s Day” phone call. As a son you can never truly have an appreciation for what being a father means. However, this Father’s Day was different for me. This one allowed me to view this day from a father’s perspective.

I woke up as usual to the precious “get me out of this bed” sounds of our awaking baby. I put him in the bed with us to roll around a little bit before we were to get ready and head off to church. Then Amy quietly delivered a bag full of Father’s Day goodies from her hiding spot somewhere in another room which included a precious card and a crayon drawing including an outline of Simeon’s tiny hand. I couldn’t help it, as much as I tried my eyes filled up and I couldn’t really say anything. I think I managed a weak, “thank you” in an effort to prevent a larger cry scene.

This was a day I’ll never forget. Of course, Amy has managed to one-up me by being in Kolkata at Mother Teresa’s home on Mother’s Day. I don’t think that one will ever be topped!

Having A Blast With Our Baby Boy!!

At this point I’m not even sure why I have a blog if I’m only going to be updating it every 2 months (even though I’m trying to slow down enough to make time)!

Believe it or not, we have now been home for a month with our baby Simeon. I can’t even describe how much joy and love he has brought into our lives. God has blessed us beyond words and I can’t believe He chose us to parent this incredible little buddy. I was smitten before I ever met him and now he has us both thoroughly wrapped around his tiny little fingers.

It seems impossible, but after all of the gut-wrenching time of waiting for the moment we could finally get on a plane (or four) and show up in his hometown of Kolkata to pick him up, the severity of the pain has almost been forgotten somehow now that he is here. Before we left I told Amy that anyone who said you’d forget the pain is ridiculous. The wait was probably the most difficult time of our lives. However, it now truly feels like a distant memory.

There is so much that I could write about. Like how he says NANA when he is hungry, to how he is taking a few steps now and trying to walk, to how he has learned to wave and copy our actions, to how great it feels when he wakes up in the morning and peers over the side of his pack and play and makes whining sounds until I wake up and put him in the bed with us. I could write a book about our trip to India (which isn’t out of the question). However, for now I’ll just say how thankful and blessed I feel. I already have the greatest wife in the world and now I have the most incredible little boy, straight from the heart of God.

We are having a blast!!!

April Fools! Not!!!

Well, after my last post I really felt like a new season was on its way.  I am happy to report that it has begun to show up!

 

Last Wednesday, April 1 we received a call from our caseworker that went something like this…“Clint, how are you?” I answered, “I am very well, how are you?”  She replied, “Do you want to give your wife the good news or do you want me too?”  I thought about it for a split second and said, “Let’s both!  I will call her first and let the shouting subside, and then you can follow up with a call in about 10 minutes.”  It was the call that we have been waiting for since we began the process over two years ago.  The judge had approved our case!  That call allowed us to have a day of celebration that we really needed.  Of course after I called Amy she was overjoyed but still had the wherewithal to say, “This better not be an April fools joke!”  I was happy to convince her that it was not!

After all the excitement sunk in, we also understood that we still needed the judge to sign off on the guardianship papers.  This process typically takes a week.  Thankfully we got the word on the 8^th that this had also happened!!!  Now we are both breathing easier now that we are out of the courts and things are out of their hands.  I have described to people that I felt as though we had a large boulder at the crest of a hill and we were just standing there holding it in place for several months.  Now it feels like we have topped the hill and the boulder is now rolling downhill and is picking up speed.  Now we can just plan our trip and enjoy the journey!!!  God is so faithful!

Below is a scripture that we quoted probably a thousand times during our wait thus far.  Especially verse 5…Enjoy!

Proverbs 3:4-8 (The Message)

 ^3-4 Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. 
   Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well 
   in God's eyes and the eyes of the people. 

 ^5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; 
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; 
   he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all. 
   Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health, 
   your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own; 
   give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst, 
   your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; 
   don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects; 
   a father's delight is behind all this.

A New Season

Well, today is the first day of spring here in the northern hemisphere and by all accounts it is exactly what the first day of spring should look like.  A cloud does not exist is the skies overhead, the sky is the bluest of blue, the birds are chirping delightfully, the temperature is much more bearable, and the grass seems to have grown three inches overnight.  Actually, my lawnmowerand I could do without the growing grass.

This year spring feels more symbolic to me than in years past.  This year spring brings with it a new gleam.  It carries new meanings and new expectations.  Gone are the days of grey clouds, dead surroundings, and cold atmosphere.  Gone are the disappointments of missed court dates and heart break.  Moved out are the days of stationary bike syndrome!  You peddle fast and get lots of exercise but go nowhere. 

Song of Solomon 2:11-13 (The Message) says this:

Look around you: Winter is over; 
   the winter rains are over, gone!
Spring flowers are in blossom all over. 
   The whole world's a choir—and singing!
Spring warblers are filling the forest 
   with sweet arpeggios.
Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, 
   and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms.

I think the following link is appropriate... 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDUrIVGak-A&eurl=http://video.google.com/videosearch%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3Dits%2520a%2520new%2520season%2520its%2520a%2520new%2520day%2520a%2520fresh&feature=player_embedded          

Merry Christmas Already?

Well, I’m not so proud of myself for letting two months go by without blogging. I haven’t slowed down enough to really gather my thoughts. However, I am at home today drinking a colossal cup of coffee and that helps!

Christmas is now fast approaching. It’s hard to comprehend that it is already less than two weeks away. We have been enjoying our Christmas décor and shopping for others. Thankfully we have been finished up with shopping for a couple of weeks and haven’t really had to brave the crazy mall areas. Good job by us, for not procrastinating this year.

With the holidays staring us in the face, I can’t help but think of what it would be like to have our Simeon here with us on Christmas morning. To put him in a snuggly little outfit and play with toys in the floor with him, while watching his reaction to everything. It is almost impossible to think of what it will feel like to be able to pick him up and hold him and love on him at any time. I know that this Christmas is going to be a little different from any other. It is hard to describe the feeling of knowing your baby is so close to being home, but yet he isn’t. He is literally on the other side of the world.

His personalized stocking hangs front and center on our mantle and he already has ornaments on the tree. His room is ready to go and his clothes are hanging in the closet or folded neatly in the chest of drawers. The picture is coming together, but it will not be complete until he is here with us. With that being said, we remain hopeful that we are closer than we even know. We may be in for a New Year’s surprise! We are thankful that God has brought him into our lives and is preparing our hearts. We are blessed beyond words. We are also very thankful that other families are able to be with their little ones this Christmas.

Merry Christmas! Now, time for more coffee and to get busy.

Pause and Review

As I sit here and write, it is way past my bed time, but my thoughts will not currently allow me to sleep. Rarely is my sleep stolen away by my melancholy thoughts and emotions, however, that personality inclination has a tendency to flare up from time to time.

Ever have a day where everything is a little bit sadder, where you feel great compassion for people who you are around often, but don’t usually feel that way toward them? You know…that guy that you see at church who really has no friends or family and is going through a tough time? You think about how you should be reaching out to him, but you get “so busy”. What about when you just can’t stop thinking about your family and all the memories that are shelved in the pantry of your mind? You try to sleep but you just can’t stop sifting through the times past. You pray that they are okay but you really wish you could just wrap your arms around them. Ever have a day where you hold your spouse a little tighter in thankfulness and gratitude? Where you ponder about the remainder of your life together and what God has in store for you.

That has been my condition today. I know it is just one of the ways that God sometimes realigns our life perspectives. I know much of it has to do with the fact that we are in the final days before our little boy will be with his forever family and it has been a long wait to get to this point. We both want so badly to bring Simeon home and take care of him and give him all that he would ever need, but more waiting remains and it can take a bit of a toll. Deep down you don’t really want to have emotional times like this, but I believe they are often God ordained. He is teaching us what love is and is really preparing our hearts for more of Him. He is preparing us for the rest of our lives. This is just a reflective pause and review I guess.

Baby Referral!

Hello Blogspot! It has been quite a week and between a heavy workload and one of life’s miracles, this is the first opportunity I have had to speak of the week’s incredible events. So here goes; As of Wednesday, September 10, my wife Amy and I are the proud parents of a 4 ½ month old little boy. Simeon Ravi Neon is his name and being the cutest baby on the planet is his game!

The week leading up to the final acceptance is documented perfectly in my wife’s blog, so I won’t even attempt to one up that one. I will just say, there are no words to describe how happy I am or how excited I am to go get him and bring him home. It is still so astounding to me that God can fashion a family together from opposite sides of the world, with no regard to distance.

So, on Friday we received a hefty pile of additional paperwork. Wasting no time, Amy and I began to assess all that was required for completion and over the weekend we were able to get the documents finished and shipped this afternoon. Whew!! That was no doubt the most I have ever signed my name (including signing day for our house purchase). We just about emptied the cartridge of ink in my G2 gel ink pen! But we were just happy to be able to do it!!! We wanted to turn the forms around as quickly as possible and we did it.

More later obviously, but I had to record our excitement and thankfulness to God for His awesome faithfulness. We are now praying for a speedy trip for our paperwork through the finalization process.

Softball and Soreness

How many times do we say, “Sure, I’ll be a part of this or that recreational team that requires physical activity” without even batting an eye? In my case it was, “Sure, I’ll be a part of the church softball team!” Well, even if I had batted my eye several times I wouldn’t have been prepared for the muscle soreness that followed a day in the batting cage and another day on the practice field.

Now, I know you might think, “Softball should not make your body ache with soreness!” But on the contrary, I’d argue that even if you are somewhat athletic and work out other muscles a little bit, softball can and probably will make you sore (especially if you haven’t swung a baseball bat or thrown a baseball/softball in about 3 years). I used some muscles I hadn’t used in a while and they are revolting because of it!!!

God help us to not allow our Spiritual muscles to lie dormant only to break them out once every couple of years. The muscles will not develop using that approach. When a ground ball is hammered directly at me, I want to be able to pick it up and throw it to first base. I don’t want to be so out of shape and sore that I can’t make the play. I don’t want the ball to skip past me into nomad’s land. I want to make the play for Christ. Offensively, when the pitch is tossed my way, I want to pound the ball up the middle for a base hit. It is hard to do that with sore, unexercised muscles.

Time to go exercise!

Is it June???

Well, Good Monday! I just sort of left my blogspot hanging out to dry a little bit over the last couple of months. Not that I was filling the web with a great deal of text anyway. I guess I have had a little case of writers block. I’ve actually had tons of stuff flash and disappear in my mind over and over the last few months, but I guess there really hasn’t been any one thing to go off writing about.

There is a bit of good news concerning the removal of a brief roadblock in the process of adopting our baby. The orphanage that our adoption agency is directly linked to has received approval from CARA (Central Adoption Resources Agency) for the renewal of the orphanage’s license to continue its work. We were both ecstatic upon hearing this news, knowing that the procedure of child referrals can now resume. God is good!! He knew we needed a bit of good news concerning that particular situation. It had been weighing on both of us.

Psalms 40:1 ~ I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.

Saying Something

I ran across this article tonight and it is really weighing heavy on me right now. I'm not exactly sure what to do with this at this point. I'm praying that God will give me some direction and strategy so that I can do my part in being a part of the solution.

Read this...

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/india.htm

Time To Speak Up!

Oppression - The act of using power to empower and/or privilege a group at the expense of disempowering, marginalizing, silencing, and subordinating another. It is particularly closely associated with nationalism and derived social systems, wherein identity is built by antagonism to the other. The term itself is derived from the idea of being “weighted down”

The word oppression is a word that for the past several weeks I have been unable to get out of my head or my spirit. It is a word that I, as an American, realistically have no familiarity with. Only recently have I come to realize that much of the world’s population is all too familiar with the reality of it. This is especially true in India, where my thoughts have often been. India is a land of people who are mostly of the Hindu religion. The caste system plays a huge role in the oppression of the poor in India. It is something few Americans have any knowledge of, but in a quick summary it is basically a division of social classes. The poorest of poor are beggars, plumbers, garbage men, etc. The wealthiest are government officials, etc. Children who are born into these castes often never supersede their current caste. They are really offered no assistance in advancing from their current caste because this is considered their “karma” or “lot in life”. Many Hindus believe that these people are getting exactly what they deserve, wherever they fall in the system.

I posted a blog back in January titled “American Mentality” which pretty much explains why Americans are either unaware of the world around them or we just don’t care.

With that being said, I had to do a little research on what the Bible says about oppression and what we as children of God should be doing about it. This is what I’ve found so far:

Proverbs 28:27 NLT –
Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing. But a curse will come upon those who closed their eyes to poverty.

Luke 1:52-53 MSG –
He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold.

Ezekiel 22:29-30 MSG –
Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice. I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses on the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it. I couldn’t find anyone. Not one.

Jeremiah 5:24-30 MSG –
It never occurs to them to say, “How can we honor our God with our lives, The God who gives rain in both spring and autumn and maintains the rhythm of the seasons, Who sets aside time each year for harvest and keeps everything running smoothly for us? Of course you don’t! Your bad behavior blinds you to all this. Your sins keep my blessings at a distance. To Stand for Nothing and Stand Up for No One “My people are infiltrated by wicked men, unscrupulous men on the hunt. They set traps for the unsuspecting. Their victims are innocent men and women. Their houses are stuffed with ill-gotten gain, like a hunter’s bag full of birds. Pretentious and powerful and rich, hugely obese, oily with rolls of fat. Worse, they have no conscience. Right and wrong mean nothing to them. They stand for nothing, stand up for no one, throw orphans to the wolves, exploit the poor. Do you think I’ll stand by and do nothing about this?” God’s Decree. “Don’t you think I’ll take serious measures against a people like this? “Unspeakable! Sickening! What’s happened in this country?”

More on this vein of thoughts later...

I've Been Tagged!

8 things I'm passionate about:
1. My relationship and faith in God
2. My DAZZLING wife
3. My family and friends
4. Our adoption
5. The country of India
6. Promoting adoption
7. My church
8. Sports

8 things I want to do before I die:
1. Live in India for a while and work in an orphanage
2. Meet Jancy - our sponsored child in south India
3. Send our parents on an awesome vacation
4. Give a load of $ to people and ministries that I love/support
5. Travel the world (visit Israel and revisit Hawaii)
6. Adopt another baby from India
7. Learn to play the harmonica
8. See a basketball game at Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke)

8 things I say often:
1. I love you!
2. What would you like to reset your password to?
3. Did you backup your data?
4. What’s up beast?
5. I could tear up so food right now!
6. Thank you Lord!
7. Weekends go by too fast!
8. Are you serious?

8 TV shows you love:
1. American Idol
2. Almost any football or basketball game
3. Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives
4. Top Chef
5. Man vs. Wild
6. Survivor Man
7. Mythbusters
8. 24

8 Things I learned in 2007:
1. How truly amazing our Pastor’s are
2. To walk in a deeper level of trust
3. That God is stirring up a desire in us for something bigger than us
4. That coaching Upward basketball is fun
5. That you can be in love with a baby across the world that you have never met
6. People definitely misunderstand adoption
7. How much God loves adoption
8. Wiring up a building with network cable is tedious

Who am I gonna tag?
Everyone who reads this!

American Mentality

What is it that as Americans, going about our day, doing what we do, living comfortably in our homes with our families, and having plenty to eat, causes us to often forget that there are literally millions of people around the globe who have absolutely nothing? I’m not entirely referring to worldly possessions, although that goes without saying. I’m also referring to hope, peace, joy, love, sympathy, the feeling of worth, and the list continues into an endless catalog of things that can only come from One who is higher than we.

Now, after posing such a loaded question, it should be known that I am as guilty as anyone for having this casual mindset from time to time. As Americans, we are free people living in a country that allows us to worship as we wish, take on the career of our choice, marry who we decide to, and establish a surplus of wealth if we so choose. Obviously, all of these things are great and God has allowed us to be a part of this amazing nation, but why? Why did God predestine us to live in such a blessed and prosperous country? Why did he sanction us to such a life of peace and opportunities? Was it so that we could live in a proverbial box and live our lives as comfortably as possible? Was it to establish a routine that prevented us from seeing the needs of others as we maintained our “crucial” schedule?

Being a part of adopting a child from the absolute opposite side of the earth is beginning to open my eyes and heart to a fresh way of thinking. Not exclusively in terms of adoption, but in seeing the bigger picture of life and God’s purpose. Too long have I maintained an American mindset where everything I worry about and am concerned with lies inside my precious little box. Too long have I not looked around and contemplated what it is like to have no family, no food, no shelter, no peace, no income, no love, and no hope.

It is my desire that this nation, especially the people of God, break off the mentality of selfishness and egocentricity. Throughout scripture the topic is touched on over and over again concerning the needs of others. For example, James 1:27 says this in the Message translation, “Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world”. I understand that we have our own set of problems that must be dealt with; however, no matter how big your problem appears to be, there is someone who is skirmishing with difficulties ten times worse than yours.

I just read this morning that 80 percent of India’s population lives on the U.S. equivalent of 50 cents per day! 80 percent! 50 cents! Now, it is easy to look at the condition of the world’s population and become overwhelmed at the endless number of people in dire straights. However, I don’t think God intended for one person to help every person on earth. I believe He is simply asking us to reach out to our neighbor. By neighbor I don’t mean the person who lives next to you necessarily. By neighbor I mean anyone you cross paths with who is in need, physically, emotionally, financially, etc. A neighbor could also include groups of people or a foreign land.

I have had those, when I express the needs of the people of India, tell me this: “Well those same needs are right here in this country and in this city”. They are correct and are telling the truth (even though they are doing nothing in the way of meeting those local needs), but why are Americans afraid to acknowledge needs that exist elsewhere? It appears that in the conversation I had, the American mentality really shines through. It becomes visible, that in some cases, Americans think American lives are more important for some reason. This same mentality is brought to light through the topic of international adoption. Some people don’t understand why people adopt from foreign countries when, “we have American children that need to be adopted, why would you adopt from over there”. My question to them would be, “Does it make a person anymore of a child of God based on where they were born?” Just in case there is any question, the answer is NO!

Let’s break out of the small town America mentality and understand that the world is bigger than our box. Let’s begin to look at what God says about loving our neighbor as ourselves. Let’s consider how blessed we are and determine in our hearts that we are going to make a difference in someone’s life today. Sponsor a child, go on a missionary trip, give someone a hug, complement somebody, do something. Let’s eliminate the American mentality and take on God’s mentality.

The List

Now we’re getting somewhere! We’ve received a great little Christmas gift called spot number seven on the referrals waiting list!

Check out the significance of the number seven…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_(number)

Now let’s pray for some movement so that we can escalate up the list to numero uno (that’s #1)…

Blessings!

The Waiting List Awaits Us!

Ok. So right now Amy and I are waiting patiently (AHEM) as our Indian Dossier (dossier [‘dosiei] noun, a set of papers containing information etc about a person or a particular matter) makes its way to our adoption agency today. This is it for now. We have completed every task required of us thus far. The last task was to have multiple documents apostilled at our Secretary of State office in Montgomery. Those were sent back to us with the appropriate signatures and seals. We then turned around and added copies of a few other documents and forwarded the bulky completed package to the Adoption agency on Friday.

I am feeling a little surreal about where we are at this point. Anyone who has walked this road before will be able to tell you just what is involved in the process and for us to be where we are right now is amazing. God has been so faithful throughout these last nine months. He has gone before us and prepared the way and has given us favor with every person we’ve had to interact with. People have been so helpful to us and have gone out of their way to make sure we have gotten everything we need. From our bank to our doctors, they have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Amy’s doctor even left her typical office to walk downstairs with us to an area that had a notary. She patiently signed the requested documents and allowed the notary to do her work and maintained a great attitude and Amy even shared a hug with her. Thinking back on moments like that is very humbling. We get to see how much God cares about what He has called us to do.

We should find out today or tomorrow from our adoption agency where we are on the referral waiting list. I can’t wait to see how much information they give us relative to where we are on the list, who we are behind, the gender that others are waiting for, etc. We shall see!!

Home Study Approved! Sent to Immigration!

Ok. So I guess I’m going to be posting about once a month. Oh well. However, I had to post something today. I’m really getting excited about our adoption. Amy called me today to let me know that the state has approved our home study and has forwarded a copy to Immigration in Atlanta. Man! The whole adoption process is beginning to really feel real at this point. Now, I am trying to hurry up and get my renewed drivers license so that I can get my passport. Unfortunately I had to discover that my driver’s license had just expired while sitting in the post office passport room filling out paperwork to obtain the passport. That’s ACE! Anyway, we’re trucking right along. Praise God!

Be Exalted Today!

Oh Lord, be exalted today. I lift up my head to You and admit with full sincerity that I am in need of You today. I am in need of Your presence. I am in need of Your love, Your mercy, Your peace, Your forgiveness, and Your strength. You are so powerful and mighty, yet gentle and merciful. You hold the whole earth in the palm of Your hand. You are majestic and beautiful. Your beauty and Your faithfulness are beyond comprehension. They stretch out through eternity. You are the everlasting Father. You never fail and You never waiver. You are the Oak of Eternity. The Strong Tower, The Ever-Present One, The Rock of Ages, and The Lion of Judah. Lord, thank You for life and the wonderful blessings You have graciously poured out on us. I take time now to acknowledge and thank You for it all. I love You Jesus!

Bizarre, yet Beautiful

It has now been a few months since my wife and I have begun the process of adopting our child from, India. The process has been a relatively smooth one thus far, “Thank you Jesus”. Things are really beginning to fall into place and progress is being made. I just need to share a few things that have been happening to us since the process was begun.

My personality is such that I am not easily “freaked out” or emotionally charged. I usually don’t get overly hyped about neat things, nor am I unimpressed about things. I just generally take things as they are. However, since our adoption process has begun Amy and I have seen some crazy things take place that I cannot deny are COOL. This week, during a couple of brief stints at our local Publix supermarket, the cool factor went to another level.

To fully understand the situation, we live in a pretty large city in North Alabama. Yes, this town is pretty culturally diverse, but it is still a city in North Alabama. From the beginning of the adoption my wife and I have seen several families and individuals of Indian descent, way more than usual it seems. There are plenty of races and nationalities represented in this city, but the ratio of people from the Indian descent that we are coming into contact with is very obvious to us.

My wife has decided to log every occurrence like this that we have experienced since the process has begun. We thought it would be great to share these occurrences with the child once he/she is older. She is even listing reminders such as Indian news headlines that pop up on the front pages of MSN or Fox News. The list is already an impressive one. It’s really neat stuff. After this past week and weekend she has a couple of new ones to add to our list.

Friday night, we were near the bread section of the supermarket and low and behold there was an Indian family with two little girls in a buggy. The oldest girl was probably 4 or 5 and the youngest was 2 or 3. Well, of course we always look briefly (trying not to stare), especially at the children because they are such a beautiful people. We just don’t want to freak the parents out. Usually they never know we have glanced at them and smiled. However, this time we both looked and the older girl made eye contact first with Amy, then me. An odd feeling came over me. I told Amy later that it was almost like a 6th Sense feeling (if you’ve ever seen that movie). I can’t explain it though. We carried on as always and completed our shopping and chalked it up as another occurrence similar to the ones before, but different.

Sunday night, we decided we wanted some sushi, so we made our way to the seafood section of the store. This time, we walked past the aisle right before the seafood section and there was another Indian family. They were dressed in their cultural garb from head to toe. They were at the end of the aisle headed toward us. They had a few items in their buggy along with a baby. Amy poked me as we walked by and I said come on and lets get the sushi and we will see them as they come around the corner. We wanted to see the baby. Anyway, we spent about one minute at the most, deciding on the kind of sushi we wanted and headed around to see if we could see them. We walked down a few aisles in both directions, and then headed for the front of the store. They were gone! We were quite confused, so we walked the entire store again in an attempt to find them and they were nowhere in that store. For the first time, I was really scratching my head began to think there were more to these meetings than coincidence. I understand how long it takes to walk to the front of the store from where we were and check out. It’s more than a minute in a half to do that, trust me.

So, at this point, Amy and I are praying that we begin to realize what The Lord is trying to show us through all of this. Is it a confirmation that what we are doing is in line with His will for us? Is it something more? We aren’t sure yet but, we pray that these reminders do not stop. It is too cool!!!

Abilities

“You are the only person on earth who can use your ability” – Zig Ziglar

God has placed within each of us certain abilities, talents, knacks, or skills. Some of us recognize these gifts and some do not. Some of us act upon these skills and some do not (for a number of reasons). These gifts were placed inside each of us for a single purpose, to bring glory and honor to The Author of Creation.

Once we recognize the ability God has placed within us, it is our job to actually use it. There was a long period of my life as a young adult that I really did not believe I had any significant and unique abilities. So, I simply kept most of the things I was pretty good at to myself, for my use only or for no use at all. Maybe, I just didn’t think my gift was important enough to bring it to light or maybe I just didn’t comprehend the fact that God placed that within me for a purpose. It could have been a little of both.

In the book of Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus gave the parable describing what the Kingdom of God is like. In verse 14 and 15 the scripture says, “He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left.” John Bevere stated recently that the point we should take away from this example is that each servant received something. In my mind, this also indicates that each servant obviously had their own abilities. If either one of them had no ability he would have received no money at all. Believe it or not, we each have abilities.

Thankfully, if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God also places His supernatural abilities within each of us. His abilities will take us past our own natural abilities. A perfect example of God placing his abilities within man is in Ephesians 3. Paul was writing from jail about delivering the message of Jesus Christ to those who had no background in the ways of God. He really found it to be a big surprise that he was able to get his message across to both the Jews and the Gentiles. In verse 8 of the Message Translation, Paul, one of the greatest men of God ever to live, even calls himself the least qualified of any of the available Christians. He says, “God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.” Other references here include Exodus 31:1-6, Exodus 35:30-35, Exodus 36:1-2, and Daniel 1:17-20.

Paul had no problem using the abilities he was given, but we sometimes have a hard time stepping out and offering those abilities. It may sometimes be because of fear or shame, but most of the time it is out of laziness or rebellion. We need to be like Bezalel and Oholiab in Exodus 35 and 36. When God placed craftsmanship abilities on Bezalel and Oholiab they didn’t just go and sit down or just create things for themselves. No, In Exodus 36:1 Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and everyone else whom God had given the skill and know-how for making everything involved in the worship of the Sanctuary as commanded by God, and told them to start to work. Verse 2 says that the men were eager to get started and engage in the work and they did so.

Let us submit ourselves unto God. Let us use our skills and abilities that God has placed in us. Where we are weak he is strong. Let us get to work.