How many ways has God provided for us? When our heart has been open, and we were ready to get hurt because it is better for us to hurt and a child to know they are loved, and have a place in this world, we have seen His glory. When we chose to focus in, He would remind us He was there and had more for us, but we wouldn't see so much of what He was doing for lack of focus. When we've given like we had already received, He gave us more than we could have imagined.
Although we can claim fostering for 7 years (off and on), our journey of caring for the orphan and underprivileged kid started with our independence 14 years before that. If He's called you, explore different ways of answering that call. Through the years, opportunities to be involved with orphaned or underprivileged kids has looked different:
Teen ministry
Children's ministry
Big Brother Big Sister mentoring
Mentoring programs
Boys and Girls Club
Crisis Pregnancy Center
Fostering
"adopting" Compassion children
Sorting at Foster Closets
Helping or giving at benefit events
Buying Christmas Gifts
Making meals
Day or overnight respite care
Donating clothes and toys
Taking time to listen to other foster families, bio families, and adoptive families, and speaking life
Continuing education to be prepared for kids' needs
There are probably even more ways than we have found, but as you give of your time, out of your heart, and without expectation, God stores up "treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-21) and will continue to direct you for what He desires. Your heart will be prepared for the next call or blessing because He has prepared you and He knows you will be a good steward of it (Matthew 25). Pass the legacy on to your children, who as they serve alongside you will get to experience abundance and the blessing of being a giver.
The relationships we engaged in through the years, whether for a season or a lifetime, have prepared us for where we are now, and allowed our hearts to grow for hurting people. Even the people the courts deem "unfit", and even when our heart is broken for giving up a child we've bonded with.
God wants our hearts, and when we're not looking for a return, but we're taking the risks, He has given us the return. This has come in the form of physical provisions, physical covering, financial provisions, emotional support, friends to walk with us, and people that have given us respite breaks. He has directed and healed our hearts, and when we live in a posture of thanksgiving, He has poured on more.
When I was at the point of "God, we really need some better vehicles and this house is just not big enough", God opened my eyes to other's needs, possible solutions, and the opportunity to start something new to help adoptive families. Faithfully following, I began to pursue helping others. In the meanwhile, I "stepped up" my care for the vehicles we had, and the house we had. My kids and I decided we'd pray a prayer of thanksgiving for what we already had as well as what God was going to give us next, and every time we would see the same numbers on the clock, we would pray. It's amazing to me how many times we would catch 5:55, 3:33, or other repeated number. I began to thank God for my mini-mansion. I believe He heard that and has responded. We now live in a very similar house, that is almost triple the size and has the extra rooms we wanted in just the right way.
We are still believing Him for every provision, and believe He has already answered in showing Chris a way to increase on what we have by investing, and renting out the house we had already paid off. We've been in process of pursuing both of these, as well as starting the non-profit to help others, when He put it on the church pastor's heart to bless us with a faith offering from the congregation that has surpassed everyone's greatest expectations. We're still believing for more, because there is still more need, and because we believe He's showing us what He'll do for us, He'll do for others.
When you believe in what He's doing enough to put yourself out there and be a servant first, He will also bring along others to serve you. Further, we need not be too proud to accept it!
God provides: abundantly, personally, sometimes through people, and always on time.
A Posture of Daily Submission
Surrender is not a one-time event. It’s a rhythm. Every morning is another opportunity to say with gratitude,
“God, this is Your home, Your family, Your resources. Show us how to honor You today.”
When submission becomes your posture, the pressure to perform fades. You’ll begin to notice His fingerprints everywhere—in the laughter of your children, the provision that arrives unexpectedly, and the peace that rests over your home.
The world may say, “You have to do more.” But God says, “Rest in Me, and I’ll do more through you.”
When we keep giving, we're exercising our faith and trust to receive more and to keep giving more- God's heart is for more. He is the God of the universe, and he delights to give His children good gifts.
Reflection & Prayer
Reflection Questions:
What area of your family life do you find hardest to submit to God right now?
How can you invite God into your daily financial decisions?
Where have you seen Him provide for your family in ways you didn’t expect?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for calling us to this journey of adoption and provision. We surrender our plans, our finances, and our fears to You. Teach us to seek You first, trusting that everything else will fall into place as You promise. Align our hearts with Yours, and let our home reflect Your peace and abundance. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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