" Laying down my Isaac"

An emotional and weary week as we continue to get emails regarding changes that are taking place for Ethiopian adoptions. Lots of unknowns and especially a lot of unknowns regarding how this will affect our sweet Ally and when we will bring her home. As Lance and I came together this week with shared exhaustion, we lifted our hearts and desparate prayers to God. However, we know that our God tells us to be anxious for nothing but asks us to present our request before God that the peace of God will guard our hearts in Christ Jesus and that is what we did. We needed peace and our hearts had grown anxious. We prayed that God would intervene in a mighty way on the behalf of this little angel that waits for us to bring her home to her family. We prayed that God would protect her,hold her, hug her, and change the hearts and minds of the people that have the power to change things that affect so many family and orphans' lives.

So what does Isaac have to do with anything. God in His sweet way allowed this to be the week that my discipleship studied Abraham and Isaac through the book by Linda Dillow " satisfy my thirsty soul". The title of the chapter is " I bow my will". To make it even sweeter, I was able to hear this amazing woman at our womens' retreat this weekend and she spoke on this very topic.

Genesis 22:1-10 Abraham waited so long for this son and God had fufilled his promise! Now God was asking him to sacrifice him? He had promised that Isaac was his son through whom his descendants would be counted. Abraham adored and loved His Isaac, but what did he do? Did he say I dont trust this plan, I love Him too much to surrender him to you, I will not go up on this mountain and lay him on the alter? No, he died to his own will and obeyed the God that he loved and trusted. I cant even imagaine!!!! Linda says in her book that " Abraham was willing to give up the son he loved to the God who loved him more, and God blessed him." He did not allow Abraham to slay his son but provided a ram to be slayed.

God has been showing that I must lay Ally and this adoption process at the alter daily. I love her but God loves her and us more. My alter must be a place where I release control over this adoption and know that My God is the blessed controller over all things and he is Good. It is where I lay down the fact that it just doesnt make any logical sense that since she was 5 days old, she has been in an orphanage, when we have been in this process trying to get her for almost 2 years ( even before she was born),it is trusting that even though I can not physically hold her , that he is, it is trusting that his ways are far better than mine and this is his story not ours. I challenge you to also ask God to reveal your Isaac and ask Him to give you the strength to surrender and lay it or them at the alter.