Trusting in Trials

~Our stone house in winter... looks a little cold and lonely, huh?~

 

Adopting always teaches you patience and perseverance, and apparently we still need to learn some more in that area!  I just keep praying that God will send us the child he wants in our family, and that our hearts will be prepared for that child, and that our new child's heart will be prepared for us.  Really, we aren't any closer to adopting than we were 2 months ago.  Adopting through the state is definitely not a quick process or an easy one.  But we feel like this is the path God wants us to take this time.  If you are new here and want to read about our past adoptions, those stories can be found here for PD, here for DJ, here for SJ, and here for AJ. 

 

Sometimes things pile up on us, don't they?  That's how it's felt around here lately.  God always knows when we need more "opportunities to trust"!  It seems like I should have learned this lesson by now but I guess I haven't.  When those trials come, we can either choose joy because we know God has something good in mind, or we can choose discouragement, grumpiness, and despair.  Hmm, I wonder which would be best???

 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be

mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4