I've said it before...adoption is not for the faint of heart. Each time, our adoption journey has been a journey of faith for us. If you know us then you are probably familiar with our financial situation. You wouldn't point to us as the family who could take on a very expensive adoption process. Yet, each time God provides exactly what is needed exactly when it is needed. This combination makes for an incredible testimony. Not a testimony of what the Fuller's have done, but of what God has done through the Fullers. We couldn't do this on our own, but God did it and continues to do it through us. To Him goes all the glory. Leslie shared this scripture with me last night and it hits the nail right on the head.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NIV)
This is not about the Fullers. People tell us how neat we are for adopting etc...all the time. Truth is, we are just willing participants. We could do no part of this on our own. It's so humbling to be involved with something that is seen as our thing, and yet need help to get it done. But as I am learning, that just ensures that I take no credit for any part of the work that God is doing through our family. We are truly blessed to be a small part of the story that He is writing. Each time God sends us on an adoption adventure, He grows and stretches us. We tend to think, oh...third adoption, we got this down, but NO. God is continually teaching us something new, transforming us into the people that He wants us to be.
One thing we knew for sure, is that once we said yes to God's call to bring Sam home, satan was going to attack. As Leslie so perfectly stated on her FB post this morning "Adoption brings the enemy full-force! Breaking generational strongholds, writing a new lineage, and giving life is against all that the enemy is here to accomplish." He won't go down without a fight. We thought we were ready.
Satan has battered us the past few weeks and continues to do so. I won't list all the ways he has been attacking, but if I did, it would almost be comical. Yet, God in all His splendor and foresight has provided for us yet again. He placed Leslie and I each in different Bible studies that have recently provided each of us with the scripture and encouragement to go to war with satan and to fight back against his attacks. I don't see any possible way to fix/solve the issues that we are currently facing. It's beyond what I/we can do on my/our own. I/we have to be willing to surrender these things to God and allow Him to write this story. He is so much better than I am at doing so. I would write it that we had plenty of money for every need and that we wanted for nothing to get this accomplished. BUT...It's not much of a story if we would have had plenty of money to provide for all of our needs ourselves. There would be nothing in that story to cause us to point back to God and give him the glory.
I have to admit that I had allowed satan to rob my joy in the midst of all these struggles. I was trying to encourage Leslie the other night and she pointed out that I too have been struggling and walking around moping. That really struck me. As the leader of my family, I need to lead by example and I wasn't doing a very good job. I was telling her all the right things but not living it myself. The last two days have been so much better. I'm still not sure how things are going to play out, but we are trying to have faith, rely on what we know from scripture, and trust in God as He has called us on this journey. My God is much bigger than all of these little "problems". God can do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever fathom to ask for.
We said from day 1 of our very first adoption, that this was so much bigger than us. That concept just continues to reveal itself through each adoption journey.
To God be the glory!!!
