Walking in the darkness of unknown times? Though I specifically reference adoption, waiting and uncertainty are common struggles for all of us. God’s timing in your life events is perfect as He guides the work in progress, the precious transformation of you.
Maybe you’ve been there, too…
Traversing a dark room, with nothing before you but tarnished, slight lantern. The pathway is lit – but only the next step.
The remembrances of things past lay behind, but that is not the direction you wish to travel. Your hope, your dream, is to carry forward, far forward, into confident expectation of desire fulfilled.
Where is that light at the end of the tunnel? Why is illumination only a foot in front of you?
Hope, the thing with feathers. But that’s all it feels like you have. An inkling of hope.
Does this sound familiar?
Oh, but may it be known – there is hope. Much more hope than you can imagine is available.
The hope is not in the room, not the pathway we’re desiring, not where we just came from, not even the light –
The hope is in who holds the light.
Oh, how it feels in the midst of wait and unknown future, a walk in the dark when we can’t see what’s coming ahead or when it may chance show –
only the very next step.
There are many who are waiting on something.
Many walking that unknown path with too many uncertainties.
My heart goes out to those who wait in heartache…*Sigh* I think especially of those who are waiting on adoption.
Precious day when our kids can finally come home. ❤️
Trusting God in His Timing
Delays abound where COVID19 comes into the picture. Adoption paperwork is stopped or slowed, adoption files have ceased to appear and, worst of all –
adoption travel to China is completely shut down.
It’s easy to ask what if – what if I had chosen a different country, a different time – yet those questions are not for us to entertain.
Why not?
Because God’s timing is perfect.
Mull over this a moment. Whatever you’re traveling through, it’s your timed trial. If you’re adopting from China, you were not supposed to do so at any other time than right in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. Having started the process earlier or having delayed it to a later time was never meant for you. Only now.
If something’s out there to test our faith and trust in Him, this is certainly one of those things. I can remember starting the adoption journey and reflecting, this adoption leap is exacting an immense amount of faith from me. And that was before COVID.
So if His timing is perfect and we’ve been obedient to the call to rescue an orphan, what exactly is He doing in all this? Are we just victims to a silent, pointless wait, at the mercy of another country deciding when and how we may come?
A resounding No reverberates in the darkness –
As you take the next step amidst incredible deep and unknown, reach out your hand…
He is right there, one step ahead of you.
Who We’re Trusting
If the darkness is ongoing trial, the light is Spirit-breathed scripture that provides us truth to steady our steps. (ps 119:105)
Open your eyes to the one who’s leading you…
He’s completely in control (prv 21:1)
He’s powerful (mt 19:26)
He’s sovereign (job 42:2)
He’s always active, not even pausing to sleep (ps 121:3-4)
He works for your good (ps 31:19-20, 24)
He’s a planning God and no one can interrupt those plans (job 42:2)
He is not a wasteful God (joel 2:25-26)
All these truths apply to your situation. Every single one.
Take a moment to let them sink in.
He’s in control? He’s the decision-maker in all this, not some powerful nation that holds my child?
He loves me with a passion and ensures that all things I go through are for my good? (rom 8:28)
He’s planned all this, even for the outcome of entrenched joy, and nothing can change what He’s already decided?
Yes. Yes. Yes.
This is the one who’s leading you, friend, as you wade through uncharted, foreign territory. Holding you fast, guiding each step, impassioned for His beloved – you.
Yes, We are a Work in Progress
Hear me out – as you travel this wearisome way…
He’s doing something in you.
If you hope to be changed in your life, ever more transformed into the wonderful image of Him, the best “me” you could possibly be, how would that take place?
Why, through suffering, of course.
Don’t mistake me – we can grow in our happy moments. When contentment easily reigns in full hearts, we can soak up scripture like a sponge, envelope joy in our worship, appreciate encouraging words from our closest friend…those things do happen.
But the most precious growth? The tried and true, pushing forward when you don’t want, yet soaring you miles in those hard moments kind of growth?
The kind of change you look back upon and whisper,
I never want to go through that again…
but that changed me like nothing else.
That maturation is only reached in the hardest of times.
Abundant increase in the expanse of tears.
Like this treasured quote from Charles Spurgeon-
They who dive
in the sea of affliction
bring back rare pearls.
Amazing Works, All in His Timing
Yes, there is a greater good in all this suffering.
Not only does God fashion our hearts to be more like his through refining fires…
Not only does count every tear, not only is He close to our hearts in our pain –
He’s close to our children, too.
When there seems nothing better than for them to be at our sides, holding the tender term “son” or “daughter”…
Before us – God is their Father, too.
He has a way to hold them in His arms…provide for their needs…plan their lives for His glory, their good.
He has a way to lavish them in love…to speak to them, to teach them…and place a hedge of protection ‘round their lives and hearts.
Though we don’t see it,
this powerful God is closer than we will ever be to our kids,
even when they’re safe and sound in our homes.
We can embrace and believe it, if we walk by faith and not by sight (2 cor 5:7).
Trust in His Timing for that Glorious End
Listen, I may not know all the minute intricacies of what you’re going through, but I can tell you this…
One day, things will look different.
One day, you’ll board that eastward plane, glimpse that precious face, hold them fast and secure in your trembling arms, and bring them back home-sweet-home.
When that day comes…all the heartache of the present will melt away.
You may hardly remember the toil in all your full-to-the-brim joy.
You’ll step out of the dark unknown, having borne many nights of wrestling the hardships – only to discover the surprise of the beautiful transformation of you.
The butterfly emerging the chrysalis, born to fly free
and the brilliance of the next season will await.
Until then, hold fast to the promises of His goodness. He works all things for your benefit – even this, especially this – and He keeps a close watch over those people you treasure most.
The Good One goes ahead of you. He’s faithful and will never fail us. When we look back…we’ll find there was a purpose in the pain and His plan was the best all along.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.
-eph 3:20-21
Are you in the midst of the difficult and unknown? Have you seen examples of God’s handiwork, transforming you through the trials? I would love to hear from and pray for you – feel free to post a comment below!
“The hope is in He who holds the light.” I LOVE that! It totally matters who we are trusting. My dark times are different than yours, but they can be dark. God has not chosen to heal me for over 40 years now, but He has walked with me and provided a good life anyway. I hope your adoption comes through quickly.
Thanks, Carole. God is our closest friend in dark times. So glad you have felt his presence, help, and grace these many years.