Chosen

I've been attending a weekly women's bible study this fall and I am being stretched and challenged and convicted and encouraged in all the right places! It's called "Living Beyond Yourself" by Beth Moore and I HIGHLY recommend it! There's so much I'm learning that I would love to put to words. But that will take more time then I have at this moment, so instead, I am going to share something from one of the lessons that touched my heart and resonated deep down in my soul. The whole study was on rejection and in the middle of her talk, Beth shares these words.

"There are many who are adopted who bear the burden and pain of rejection through out their lifetimes. It is the way of human nature, that instead of seeing that we have been chosen, we see that we have been rejected. In Eph 1, we read that we've been adopted as gentile believers in Christ and what God is trying to get across to us is this: is there anything better than that? Than being chosen? 

There cannot be an unwanted, adopted child. All the trouble went through to adopt - the waiting, the faith testing, the paperwork, the yearning....there's no such thing as an unwanted, adopted child! Yet many people who are adopted suffer under the burden of that rejection of their biological parents - sometimes all their lives. 

Our human nature will reach out and translate the rejection more than we will reach out and translate the acceptance. It's not 'I've been chosen!' but 'I've been rejected.' That is the fear that we are not or will not be loved. Are we afraid of anything more than that?"

I was watching this video segment at home and when I heard these words, I rewound it again and again. As I listened to this truth my thoughts turned to my son. An overwhelming desire came over me to do everything within my power, more than I am already doing, to help him embrace the fact that he is CHOSEN! WOW! Is there anything better than that? I want him to reach out and translate our acceptance and God's acceptance, instead of rejection! I want him to live in the freedom and love and warmth and security and significance that comes from being chosen! I don't want him to bear a burden of rejection all his life. I want him to fully grasp the truth that there is no such thing as an unwanted, adopted child! His adoption has happened because we wanted him and because God hand selected him for us! God chose Josiah to become our son and us to become his parents, even before the beginning of the world! How amazing is that? This is what I want my precious son to grasp, to know to the core of his being, to the bottom of his soul, with all his heart - that he is wanted, that he is chosen, that he is accepted and that he is loved, always and forever! 

How I pray that Josiah will reach out and translate the acceptance and the fact that he has been chosen! That he will grow up to find his significance, security and identity in Christ alone! 

"God, please answer this prayer for my son Josiah, Holy Spirit do your work within his heart to make this truth alive and well within the depths of his being. May he always know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, who he is, how much he means to us and most importantly, who he is in You! Amen."

Now stop for a moment and think about the fact that God sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners! Does that sound like rejection? NO! God had this amazing plan of salvation all worked out since the dawning of time! He looked across the centuries and saw you and me and He wanted us! He didn't reject us, He chose us! He adopted us as His sons and daughters! We are wanted, we are chosen, we are accepted and we are loved by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! 

What another amazing thought this brings to my mind! Josiah is wanted and chosen and accepted and loved twice over - first through our adoption and second, through his adoption into God's family! Oh how I long for him to really and truly grasp the specialness and preciousness of this all!

There is no such thing as an unwanted, adopted child! My sister and brother in Christ, that includes you too!

You are wanted, you are chosen, you are accepted and you are loved!

Faith building is hard work. And not very fun. And not always our choice. It seems that God chooses to build our faith at times when we wish it was all very easy. I am learning that I need to let go and let God. And stop worrying about it. If I continue to worry, I really have not let go. I am hanging on to the rope and getting very burned and blistered hands. Want some context? Well...

I resigned from teaching 1.5 years ago. I missed the deadline for asking for a one year leave of absence by a week. We had to raise support for the position that we volunteered for, so that we could pay for our plane tickets and some other outgoing expenses. God built my faith in His provision through His church - in 2-3 months our tickets were pretty much reimbursed.
When we came back from Zambia, where we had volunteered, I applied for a teaching position again. I thought I would not have a problem, but with gov't cutbacks, there were not positions available for me. So I asked around, and was advised that substitute teaching would be sufficient income. Well, it has helped, but sufficient it is not for longterm provision. A great blessing was when I was able to fill in for 2 straight weeks at a school teaching Gr. 2. I had never taught full-time any grade lower than Gr. 5, so it was a stretch, but I loved the kids. It was a great experience.
Another job opened up at a school, so I applied for it. I did not get it. Now another has opened up, and I am praying and hoping that I will get that one. No more taking things for granted, my reputation or history are not enough. I need God to help me get the right job. He is faithful, and if I don't get it, I am trying hard to trust that he has reasons for my good, and my families' good, to not be working full-time.
Another faith building event has been the support of best friends. They have welcomed us back to our town, and have even given us a vehicle to use until our next leg of missions service. May God bless them richly!
We have had many asking how long until we head onto the next leg of our missions journey. Well, we have to raise support, monthly support, as we have been accepted by a faith mission - TEAM, which means raising money for all expenses, including the ministry expenses. A long time ago I would have never wanted to put myself in this position. But now I am excited to see how God is going to provide. He has amazed us in the past, and I trust we will be amazed again, though not surprised, for He is faithful, and sure everytime.
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Update - brief catch up

Long time since our last blog not because there hans’t been nay thing to write about, but there has been too much and no time to write. Here is a bit of some highlights from our last few months. 

We came back from Zambia in August, went for a 2 week trip without our precious children. Grandpa and Grandma Foster were willing to take care of the kids for us. We went to South Carolina to visit some dear friends that we had met in Zambia back in 2002. After several great days of being spoiled and visiting, we went for a 2 day interview with TEAM in Illinois. This was the catalyst for our trip. After the 2 days were done, we did not have a placement. We had a good sense of what to do next, which was a lot of praying and visiting with TEAM missionaries to see where God would lead us. More on that later.

We then went to Toronto to take in a wedding ceremony for a good friend. The wedding was very different from what we are used to, much more Jewish in flavor. It was neat to see some very different traditions. We stayed with another good friend of Karlene’s for the rest of our stay, as we took some time for each other, and spent 1 day at Niagara Falls and another day visiting a great auntie. When in Toronto, we were able to take in a Blue Jays game and Toronto FC game. We did some sightseeing and learned the subway system fairly well. It is so much easier to learn than London’s. 

When we got back to La Crete, we stayed with Mom and Dad Foster for the rest of the month until our renters were able to move into another house. Our kids were delighted to spend more time with Grandpa and Grandma. 

We then spent 4 weeks visiting on Skype with TEAM missionaries in various countries and places that we thought were possibilities for us to serve. In the end, we felt it was 50/50 with Spain and Mexico. We were drawn to some scripture passages, then prayed, and asked God to lead. He led us back to Mexico, where we had first thought to go when we started getting to know TEAM.

I went to Mexico with my brother who was booked for surgery in Merida, a large city close to Cancun. After 8 days there, I flew to meet Karlene.

We were back in Illinois for one week of training, intensive in class from 8 til 5 each day. We felt overloaded at times, but it was all good as it was applicable and important to us. We got to know some great people and enjoyed the encouragement they provided. We also felt we were able to get to know the TEAM leaders and have a better feel for the organization. 

We got back to La Crete and I was so excited to see our kids. Since then, it has been busy getting back into the swing of things. I have subbed a few days, not enough to make ends meet, but am hoping things pick up. I have applied for a full-time position, and am trusting that God will provide. I need to stop relying on me and fully trust in Him. This is the lesson that He has been trying to teach me for some time, and will continue to if I don’t learn it and put it into practice. It is the difference between eternal fruit vs. temporal success. 

This is a quick summary of several months of busyness! Much more could be said that is exciting and amazing, but will leave that for a more focused writing.