Amazing Power

University of Missouri Storm Chasing Team

Yet another storm front is moving through our area (time for that ark yet?!) and it got me to thinking today.  I absolutely love displays of the power of nature.  To me, they are displays of the power of God.  I love watching and feeling strong winds whipping through, tossing the trees.  Storms with lightning and thunder are absolutely magical.  Every time I have been in the ocean, I have stood in awe and amazement, feeling (in a good way) just how small and mortal I really am.  It brings to life that line in the old hymn: "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand".  These little displays of God's awesome power thrill me.  

However... God dropped this little thought in my head while I was standing outside reveling in the furious wind... show too much power and it scares me.  Wind... storms... bring it on!  Tornadoes... terrify me.  My parents used to watch shows on TV about tornadoes when I was little and I wouldn't sleep for days following.  Didn't matter that it was a bright sunny sky out (yeah- sunny.  I think my mom sent us to bed at like 8 p.m. in the summer!).  Tsunamis- the ultimate end of those powerful waves- wouldn't want to be anywhere near one.  I treat God the same way.

We are starting to see the power that God really possesses as we walk further along our adoption journey.  I had mentioned this earlier.  Now that our taxes are actually done and sent (although the refund hasn't been sent yet, so I'm still a little nervous to mention), God is offering us a pretty major step forward by way of the IRS.  We received the remainder of the adoption credit this year for our daughter's adoption, which we probably would have needed 1-2 more years to finish under the previous tax arrangements.  Instead, the leftover amount is all coming now.  The amount we are receiving is going to be enough to pay off our remaining debts minus our home mortgage!  What a miracle!  This will free up money monthly to start saving and paying for our son's adoption.

Now don't get me wrong... the IRS isn't sending us megabucks!  But, we have spent the past 5 years working hard on getting better with our finances so that God was better able to use us.  Dear hubby and I were financial morons when we got married!  5 years ago, we were introduced to Dave Ramsey and his Financial Peace University.  Check it out:

Financial Peace University

It is definitely not easy, and it takes a while to actually gain financial ground (a crock pot, not a microwave, as he puts it) but it is sooooooo worth it.  You may have heard the same type of advice before, but Dave Ramsey actually makes it seem doable and maybe even a little fun.  Hubby says he best likes how Ramsey encourages you to be excited about freeing yourself from your debtors ("What creditor are you gonna really enjoy saying 'Ha- never have to deal with you again!' to?")  His debt snowball plan really has worked in our lives.  It seemed like a really slow process, but we also adopted a kid in the middle of it!

So here is God, offering me a big step forward, and I have to admit, I'm scared!  If God really starts to show me His power, I have NO excuses for my fears, doubts, whining, lack of effort on the part of His Kingdom or any of the other failings I am so comfortable in.  If He can move mountains to bring my son home, when I can't do it myself, I have no other option than to stand up and shout to the world what an amazing God I serve!  It means that I need to be for Him like those crazy storm chasers are for weather-- leaping right into the thick of it and celebrating His power and His glory.  Wow!

Passover

My hubby and I are both major history and culture buffs.  A few years ago, our church had done a bit of a Passover experience led by a young man in the leadership whose family had been non-practising Jews (he had later become a follower of Jesus).  We found it to be a pretty awesome addition to our family's celebration of Easter- a real pull into the reality of Jesus' life.  We discovered that in our town there is a Messianic Jewish congregation, and they are kind enough to open their Passover Seder to people who are not members of their congregation (not just that- they really welcomed us with open arms).  What an INCREDIBLE celebration!  Dear hubby was born and raised Lutheran, and I grew up in a conservative church of Anabaptist descent.  We currently attend a non-denominational church planted by Baptists.  We have good worship music in service, but it's really rather quiet compared to the incredible Davidic dance and blowing of real animal horn horns!  Makes you wonder what it was like to be there when Joshua had his troops blowing their horns around the city of Jericho!

We had a really amazing picture of what our wedding feast in heaven will be like!  At our table was seated a delightful former Mennonite family...now there's a group that should have been overwhelmed by dancing and horns- many parts of our state are heavily Amish and Mennonite, and my grandfather left the Amish faith, so I know how conservative they are!  We also had my dear hubby, who is the grandchild of Germans who left their country following World War II (and his grandmother would never speak of her opinion of the "unpleasantness" of that era), my daughter with her Choctaw tribal registration, my little Scotch-Irish self, and a kind gentleman born and raised in a Jewish synagogue and a very helpful CPA.  What an amazing combination!  The room itself was filled with people of all colors and cultures.  What an amazing preview of when Jesus gathers his children-- really "red and yellow black and white... [all] precious in His sight" to celebrate Him together!

Because dear hubby and I have seen a number of different "flavors" of Christian belief, I feel that we can honestly proclaim it's not the "custom or culture" of belief but that your heart is following Jesus and has accepted His forgiveness and gift of sacrifice.  I was so blown away by the excitement and enthusiasm of these Messianic believers!   I also really felt God speaking to me this evening... that we should raise our son like this... seeing that true believers are believers regardless of culture or style or color or type of music or service or any of the little things that we very human Christians sometimes let come between us.  I have worried so much about all the "hostile adoptee" blogs I have seen on the Internet, because God has chosen to relieve my bareness through the gift of adoption.  We try to offer our daughter (and all we are given the privilege of parenting in addition to her) not only her culture but as much culture and history of the world around her as we can.  I worry about the accusations made against white parents raising Asian children.  But I also really felt God tonight, showing me that He loves all His children in their wondrous variety, and that what matters is the joy of family, and adoption into His family.  What a wondrous family it is!  (And if you have the opportunity to try something like taking your family to a Passover Seder- it's such a cool way to celebrate part of the story of Jesus' sacrifice and Resurrection!)