The book of Ruth is so special to me. God has used it so much in my life, and when I look back at how He wove His grander plan together using it, I cannot help but smile. Ruth 2:10 has a particularly special place in my heart as God used that verse to confirm in my heart that Yellow Car Boy would be my husband. I could go on and on about provisions God made for me in giving me YCB as my husband, the grace God poured over me, and the joy God gave me through my precious husband, but that’s not quite what this is about. Actually, my head and heart are spinning about God’s grace, provisions, forgiveness, love, and divinity right now. He is just incredible.
Anywho, if you don’t know our love story, YCB and I didn’t know each other at all. We met, didn’t like each other, learned to love each other by getting to know each other, and now we have the opportunity to fall in love with each other every day through the most precious gift of marriage. My point being we were once strangers. Today I walked through the grocery store and with each person I passed I couldn’t help but think about how each person was a soul potentially in need of a Savior. Each person was a person, a human life, with a life story. I wondered what was going on in that moment. What was their childhood like? How were their marriages going? Were they married? Were they hurting? Were they happy? We were strangers. Adoption and foster care have been at the forefront of my mind lately. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of adoption, and fostering was so foreign to me, but recently my sister and brother in law completed the foster care classes, and right before Christmas they went from zero to three children very quickly. Sounds overwhelming right? I would say my sister might agree with that, but I think she would also tell you just how incredible it has been and how overwhelmingly precious these sweet children are. They were strangers. It hurts my heart to think of leaving a home, family, everything you know to not just visit but live with strangers, especially as a child. When I was little, despite our home situation, home was where I wanted to be and Mom was who I wanted to be with. I wanted comfort and what I knew. These sweet children and so many others go to live with strangers. Some of them on a regular basis. Can you imagine? I feel like sometimes children up for adoption or those in foster care get a negative rap. Not always, but sometimes. Seeing these precious children first hand, hearing their story, and being faced with the idea of everything you know going away and a whole lot of new being hurled at you like a snowball is pretty awakening. They’re with strangers. But you know, those little strangers sure have taught me a lot in a short amount of time. I face timed them the first time I “met” them, and I was instantly in love and so thankful for the opportunity my sister and brother in law had. When I met the kiddos in person, I was astounded at how open and loving they were. They are coming from a broken situation, and yet they were so ready to offer their love and show their joy. Talk about being unconditional and displaying the Fruit of the Spirit. These kiddos knocked it out of the ball park. Don’t get me wrong. They’re human, and at that, children. They, like us, are imperfect. But I was so amazed at how they were so willing to love us, strangers, despite their circumstances. I’ve called them about 1,1813 times, and I’ve cried multiple times since leaving because I just miss them. To say they impacted me is an understatement. Since coming home, all I can think about is the sweet gift God prepared for us. Knowing we would sin, He still put His master plan in place and sent His only Son for us. We as strangers, not a part of the family of God, we’re given the ability to be adopted into His family. He didn’t have to. He didn’t have to care. He could’ve told us to fend for ourselves, but no. God, being a God of sincere, unconditional love made a way. And not only did He make a way, but we get to walk with Him on this earth and have a relationship with Him. He doesn’t save us and walk away. As we live this life, He leads, guides, teaches, chastises, molds, and loves us through so much. I don’t know about you, but I’m so thankful God didn’t leave me a stranger. I’m so glad He saw my need and came to my rescue. I’m so humbled that He didnmore than save me, He allowed me to have a relationship with Him. I’m grateful His Name isn’t one to be used in vain, but it is powerful. I’m glad He is my Heavenly Father. I’m thankful He adopts sinners like me into His family, wraps His God sized arms around me and calls me- even me- daughter. Those sweet children my sister sister and brother in law are fostering have taught me so much. Strangers are souls. They’re people in need of love. We don’t know their situations. On the outside people can appear fine, but on the inside there might be a hurt we can’t even fathom. Let’s be more aware of strangers. And while that’s something I have learned, I believe the thing they taught me the most about is uncircumstnatial joy. Despite all they’ve experienced, they’re some of the happiest children I know. And God can their joy can be used to mend the most broken heart. He already used them in my life I know. I challenge you, and myself, to meet a stranger today. You never know what you might learn from one another, or how God can use each of you. Who knows, He might use you to have another person adopted into His family.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author
Saved by God's amazing grace and living this divinely put together puzzle of a beautiful life He so graciously blessed. Archives
March 2020
Categories
|