Worry

I’m working my way through a book called The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel.   It has been a real eye opener for me.  I’ve gone around recommending the book to pretty much everyone because it is helpful to anyone in any possible situation they are in right now.  When I talk about how great this book is, people just act like “yeah, whatever.” I know most people won’t bother to read it.

As you all know we travel very soon to adopt our 2^nd son from Ukraine.  I have been in absolute turmoil as I have worked through every possible scenario in my head that can and will go wrong while we are overseas.  First, Scenario #1, we will travel to adopt Nestor and they won’t be able to find him.  It will take 17 weeks to find him only to meet him and discover he does not want to be adopted.  Scenario #2, we meet him and he begs us to adopt him, but he is really creepy and there is no way we want to bring him home.  Scenario #3, they do not even refer us to Nestor, because he is not available for adoption.  Scenario #4, we adopt Nestor and he is an absolute terror and we wish we’d never adopted him to begin with.  Scenario #5, we miss our flights and lose all our luggage and never make it to our appointment to get our referral to adopt.  Scenario #6, we come home empty-handed.  Scenarios #7-Scenario #5,000 are a bit similar from getting stuck in Ukraine because we lose our passports, getting thrown into prison, getting food poisoning , running out of money and having to sell our home and live in a cardboard box with all 4 children for the rest of our lives.

So, I sit down to read my book, The Christian Atheist (the very book that I am recommending to EVERYONE ELSE TO READ) and what does it say?

                Worry, in essence, is the sin of distrusting the promises and the power of God.  It’s choosing to dwell on, to think about, the worst-case scenario.  It’s faith in the bad things rather than faith in God.  Second Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline”(NLT).  In this verse, you could also easily translate “fear and timidity” as “anxiety, tension, and worry.” Fear doesn’t come from God.  It’s a tool the evil one uses to distract us from our true purpose here….. When we live by faith, we believe that God has everything in control.  But if we start to worry, how we live says the opposite….Can your worry change anything? No. Can God change anything?  Absolutely He can. (98).

I am doing exactly what the author says makes people a Christian Atheist—I am calling myself a Christian, yet I am living and acting like there is not a Sovereign God.  Shame on me! This cut me right to the quick of my heart. I have seen His mighty hand work in our International Adoption only ONE year ago!  How soon have I forgotten His goodness in that?  I have seen many miracles in my own life with leading me to my godly husband, and the healthy births of our 3 biological children.  God has provided for us financially for both adoptions.  He has led us on a very smooth path this second adoption journey.  He has answered many prayers regarding many different things.

What are the “promises” we are distrusting that the author is probably talking about?  One promise that jumps out at me is in Philippians 4:6-7.  “Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  I also think about the verses in Matthew 10 regarding not one sparrow falling to the ground without our Heavenly Father knowing it.  Jesus Christ says, “Do not fear; you are more valuable even than a sparrow.”

Honestly, it is a lot easier said than done sometimes to cast down our worries and just trust that whatever happens is ordained by God.  Jeremiah 29 is another promise that God is not out to get us and cause calamity.  After promising a future and a hope it says, “If you seek me, and you find me, when you search for me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord.”

Our prayer has been and will continue to be as we move forward, that God would lead us to the right boy that He would have us to love, nurture, teach and call our own child.  We could use a lot of prayer in the next several months to trust in His power and might to work out every last detail. 

Oh, please go purchase and read the book The Christian Atheist. It’s a really, really good book.  I promise you will learn and you will grow in your walk with the Lord.

(PS, I hope it's obvious I was exaggerating with some of those worries.  It will not take 17 weeks and Ukraine does not randomly throw people in prison...just thought I'd throw in this disclaimer.  I don't want to discourage anyone from adopting from the wonderful country of Ukraine).