Following {2012}

"Our desire to live should be for the sake and glory of the God who put us on this earth in the first place."-- Francis Chan

 At the beginning of January,  I asked Ian to think of a word that would describe the focus of our family for 2012. He thought for a bit and said, "Following." It fit perfectly with what I had written in my journal that very day.

But I won't lie. I enjoy comfort. I enjoy an "easy" life, and, well, following God is hard. In Genesis, God called Abraham to leave Ur, which was an affluent and advanced city. I would assume it would be hard to leave such a place, but Abraham didn't ask for a detailed explanation; he simply followed. As Christ's disciple, I shouldn't have to have everything explained to me before I believe God and respond. Yes, I see an unknown future ahead as we pursue adoption, but we desire to exercise trust and move. We are alive on this planet because God has something for us to do . . . and we want to follow.


What does God want us to do as a family this year? For us, we believe 2012 will be the year we adopt an orphan into our family. Following right now means pursuing the least of these, knowing that this road is going to be so hard but that it is during times like these that God "grows us up".

Following means obeying God's call for our family and taking the next step even when it is not spelled out. Who is our child? What needs will he/she have? When will this happen? How will we do this financially? Following means giving up my desires and control and placing my full trust in the character of God.

After we chose our word for 2012, some big things happened in my heart regarding adoption as I sought to follow God instead of my own desires. The blog has been quiet as I have been processing, but I am finally ready to share our adoption journey thus far. Stay tuned.