The Gift of Sharing Yourself

I was encouraged by a friend today. She shared her heart with me and by doing so spoke truth into my life and provided me with encouragement, without even knowing it! Here is a bit of her story: My friend and her family were supposed to move out of the country to pursue a passion that God had long ago planted in their hearts.  They had prayed about whether to make the move and as everything fell into place, they felt like God was presenting them with an opportunity to see this vision come to fruition.

But all of the sudden, circumstances changed and the type of mission work they were supposed to be doing is no longer an option.  This came as quite a surprise and disappointment to my friend.  But although the circumstances around their work changed, the vision and calling to which God directed them has not.  It seems that they are no longer being asked to do what God is asking them to do.  However, instead of questioning God's calling for their lives or jumping into an opportunity that may not be right for them, they are staying loyal to the directive God has planted in their hearts. All the plans have already been made for them to make this big move and perhaps it would be easier for them to follow through with those plans. Yet, they are choosing to follow God and His plan for their lives, despite difficulties.  In other words, they are not going to compromise God's directive for them.  By prayerfully saying no to this particular opportunity, they are saying yes to God and His calling for them!  I am just excited to see what the next step is for them and what God has in store!

This message rings very true for me today. After our adoption plans fell through in January, we have been questioning whether God truly wants us to adopt. It would be easier to give up, to say, "Okay, God, you must not want this, so we will stop trying". I could be very comfortable and content with where we are right now.  And surely, the Enemy has certainly planted all kinds of doubts in my mind  (such as I am not worthy of such a calling).  I have also received advice that we should just try to get pregnant, why would we want to go through such a heart-wrenching journey?  But to give up on the desire God has laid on our hearts, even though the circumstances are confusing, feels disobedient to His calling for us.  Deciding to adopt was not a decision that we easily jumped into.  Admittedly,  I could have very easily because I love being a mother.  But God wisely used John to push the brakes.  We stopped and prayed, thought, discussed, and then prayed, thought and discussed some more.  Ultimately, we felt God nudging our hearts that this was the next right step for our family; God was calling us to adopt.

After we were chosen by the birth mother, John and I thought, talked, and prayed about what our daughter's name should be. We had a hard time agreeing on a name, but finally settled on Aliyah. After choosing this name, we later learned that Aliyah in Hebrew literlly means "ascent or going up from a lower to a higher state". Aliyah, in Hebrew, also refers to the journey of the Jewish people into the promised land of Israel. It took the Jewish people 40 years to make it to the promised land! And I am sure they felt like giving up and thowing in the towel. It would have been much easier to stop the journey, but it would have been disobedient to the path God was leading them, that He had lovingly prepared for them. And so this name has become a symbol of God's calling for us, a symbol of our spiritual growth and journey toward Him, as we move forward with this adoption.  And, of course, this name became even more special to us after the adoption fell through.  When circumstances do not work out the way we hoped or planned, we may feel as if we want to give up instead of enduring a struggle.  But if Paul would have given up after being imprisoned for spreading the good news of Jesus, God's purposes would not have been fulfilled.  Just think of how easy it would have been for him to say in one of his jail cells, "Oh well, looks like it's not meant to be, I can quit preaching now".  But thank God he remained faithful to God's calling for him through an uneasy journey.  If we remain connected to God and sincerely desire His purposes for our lives, we must continue with total dedication for that which He is calling us, no matter what the costs.

Sometimes we may feel confused about what God is calling us to do.  But if we are faithful in prayer and seeking Him, we can rest assured that he will direct our steps.  That is a glorious promise of God!

So, as my friend shared her heart, she ended up sharing much more than that. She gifted me with encouragement about my own situation and a gave me a reminder of why God calls us to be in community with His people.  We are to share our hearts with one another as we follow Him. As we share, we never know what purposes God has for our story.  Something that we are facing just might resonate with someone else and bless them.  It is risky to share yourself, and definitely makes you vulnerable, but if we trust God then we will not go wrong.

 And just as my friend and her husband are staying faithful to the calling that God has laid on their hearts, so John and I must remain steadfast to the calling God has laid on our hearts. Following God is usually not the easy way out, but as we trust Him and walk with Him, and continue in our faith, God will continue to be faithful to us.  On our journey to the promised land, we must be willing to bear the cross, not just the crown.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" -Proverbs 3:5-6