Adding to the Story

Crossfire was progressing nicely.  It is the youth group of our church, Christ Community Church, in which our daughter, Megan, participates.  The phone rang:

"Hello Jill? My husband and I have been praying for Peter's adoption and want to know what do you need?"

We really don't know how to answer that question.  As it stands, if the call came to go and get Peter, we could pull it together. We don't want to be greedy and say that we could use the help if we really don't.  But is that what God is doing?  I stammered and then said we'd see them in church after we look at the numbers and give them an answer.  The question that stumped me was, what do we need?  Seems pretty simple, look up the numbers and the totals and tell them the lack.  Again, I got the distinct impression that God was going to teach me something.  Funny enough, Thom and I never really made it to church that Sunday and we weren't able to talk with our friends about what we needed.  God's delay.

All through this adoption journey God has been weaving lots of different folks into Peter's story including us.  And what a wonderful beginning this tapestry has.  We don't know what to say to our friends.  We hope that God would lead them into their section of Peter's story and do what God impresses on them to do.  What we have learned is that we really don't know what we need - only God knows that.  We can trust His plans.  And we have seen this play out over and over again.

This process is so much more than the wheres, the whens and the hows.  It really is about the Who, the central character in all of our stories including Peter's.  GOD!  There is never a twist or turn that isn't carefully scripted in.  No governmental agency, no red tape, no missing finger prints, no lost luggage, nothing can thwart the plans of our God.  What does it matter what it looks like to us?  We can only see one dimensionally!  God sees it all from before the beginning of time, all of it, before it began.  Who can stand against God?  Who can fathom His plans?  Our son is coming home exactly when God planned for him to come home.  When that day comes, God will receive that ultimate glory and praise for it as we drink in the sweetness of our little boy.

Peter's story is just beginning.  There will be chapters and characters added everyday. Many other characters, whom Peter has not even met, have already been an integral part in his story.   I can't see where this road will lead us, I am not the central character of Peter's story.  I am not the Author, I am just a grateful, excited participant. 

And so what do we say to our friends?  We are going to tell them that we would be very grateful for their help. They are great prayer warriors and we know that God has moved their hearts on behalf of Peter.  Why?  We have no idea what need their contribution will meet.  But God does.  And like so many others that have given to Peter's adoption fund, exactly when we needed it before we knew we needed it, we will add our friends.  And when Peter meets them, we will tell him about their amazing part of his story.