You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.
>>1 Thessalonians Chapter 1: 5-6//Message Version- Read full chapter here (ch. 2 is pretty sweet too!)
Travis & I read this passage together a few weeks ago. I love what Paul writes to the Thessalonians about taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble. A to the Men Paul! It made me think about how there is always, always, always joy to be found in life when you are living life to the fullest. Regardless of circumstances. Regardless of your marital status, or how much money you have. Regardless of your job or lack there of. Regardless of your pain or suffering- there is joy to be found in Jesus. And the road to that joy is pretty simple.
When people ask me How are things going with your adoption? or Any progress with your adoption? I can't help but smile. I don't always say the same thing. Sometimes I focus on one project or another, sometimes I just answer the questions they ask. Other moments I change the subject. But always, I smile.
When people ask me How are things going with your adoption? or Any progress with your adoption? I can't help but smile. I don't always say the same thing. Sometimes I focus on one project or another, sometimes I just answer the questions they ask. Other moments I change the subject. But always, I smile.
Here's Why:
I feel like a new woman. This is because of Jesus and the work He's been doing in my heart over the last year. I feel something so wonderful, something I can't always think of how to describe, something I always want to hold tight to......I feel contentment.
I feel like a new woman. This is because of Jesus and the work He's been doing in my heart over the last year. I feel something so wonderful, something I can't always think of how to describe, something I always want to hold tight to......I feel contentment.
I feel free.
I feel a sense of life and purpose and love and energy that I have never experienced before. At least not like this.
Please don't interpret that to mean I "have it together" or that I am free of bitterness. I just have to tell you about this because it is so cool and amazing and above all because God is so wonderfully good. I would be doing a great injustice if I didn't share.
So, here it is:
It is not about me.
That's it.
It being- my life, being a mother or a wife or friend or employee.
It's not about what I have to contribute or offer the world. My life is not about what I can do for people. It doesn't matter what roles I have in this world. Other than my role as a servant to Jesus Christ.
I realize this is an obvious statement and nothing you haven't heard about before. But how often does your life reflect it? How often do you meditate on this truth? I tell you what, it's changing me, and I never want to go back.
This journey to parenthood has exposed how focused I am on myself, more than anything in my entire life ever has. Excruciatingly so. Over the last 8 or 9 months God has been stretching me and challenging my heart so much I thought I might break. Forcing me to answer Him on questions like, "Am I really not enough for you?" or "When are you going to just stop, and live?" or "Did you really just take credit for My work?" ...the list goes on and on and on.
I've been pondering these questions, and praying a lot, and reading and listening. I've felt tired and emotional. It's taken me a while to really "slow down" like I felt He was telling me to. To really just stop and relax and listen to him. When I did, the most beautiful thing happened.
I didn't just proclaim, It is not about me. I followed it with- Everything is about God.
Everything.
Every single thing.
Every good & beautiful thing.
I realized it was time to stop worshiping His creation, and start worshiping Him. The Creator of ALL things. I realized that because it is not about me- I am free! I am free to let Him handle things, and worship Him along the way. Because the things He's put in my life are so rich and pure and wonderful. I am free to live for Him and embrace what He's given me. I am free to enjoy the moment. I am free to love the long dinners with my husband. Free to laugh with high school girls on Thursday nights, and speak God's truth into their lives. Free to laugh and get stinking excited for summer. I am free to love my life, the life HE has given me. Why would I ever want to miss these joy-filled moments because I am wishing for future ones? And even more, how much sweeter and wonderful are these moments, when I acknowledge that they happen because of God, and not because of me? The pressure is off!
The fact is, when you embrace that your life is NOT about you- it gets a lot better.
If you declare yourself a follow of Christ, as I do, I have to ask you the same question I've been asking myself: Why do you worry so much?
He's got it covered.
My life, is not about becoming a mother. Just like it wasn't about becoming a wife. Or about getting that one promotion.
It's about letting God handle things. It's about deferring to Him always. Releasing control. Being His servant. When you truly do this you find yourself overflowing with joy and contentment. Fact.
God doesn't withhold things from us because He's angry. He's not a control-freak that demands us to submit. He asks us to let go of things, because He wants us to experience joy, and joy to the fullest amount.
Perhaps this is not the adoption update you were looking for. I hope you still found something here, not because of my words, but because of the work God is doing.
I can tell you things with our adoption are going swimmingly. Life is good and we are blessed beyond measure.
- Travis' job is such a good fit and it has been incredible to have him completely home. I get to cook more! I love it. We have had such fun evenings. No more living in a hotel for him, or in a big, empty house for me! Hallelujah!
- Money is slowly coming in for our adoption in different ways, but we don't feel stressed about this. We trust & believe in God's promise of children- why should we worry? In May, we will officially be debt free! We made the decision to pull a bit ($2k) from our savings and pay off the rest of our debt. I cannot even tell you how EXCITED I am to do our debt-free scream!! (for all the Dave Ramsey fans out there)
- We are currently saving for our pool cover, and a few other house items we need prior to our home study.
- I am finishing up designs for a little postcard-number that I'm pretty excited about. These will go out to those of you who have so generously gave toward our adoption. There's a little preview pic for you below. Thank-you everyone for your prayers!
- We've shared dinner with all but a couple of our adoption references. SO AMAZING to be surrounded by a great community of prayer warriors and friends. It is no coincidence that God has placed such great, Godly people in our lives & we praise Him for this!
- I have started organizing photos and thoughts for our profile book. This is super hard for me and I would appreciate prayers. Just to find the right words to express to our birth mom. Words that reflect Christ and the life her child would be brought into.
- Coming in May will be a blog post from Travis! I asked him about this last month and gave him the May deadline (I know he hasn't started yet, but hey, he's a thinker!). I hope you are looking forward to that as much as I am! Excited and thankful he will share about his journey in this process with you all. This process has been a lot different for him, and I am so proud of him for being willing to step outside his comfort zone and share with you all!
To those of you who ask about our adoption, keep asking. My prayer is that this will lead to more opportunities to share God's love. My heart is so full of love and anticipation. God's plans for our family are so much bigger than I could ever dream up.
Thank-you for reading- know that you are prayed for & loved. My hope for you is the same as for myself- that you release control, and allow God to truly reign in your heart.
The effect is life-changing.
Love, Hannah
P.S. Travis & I are big Matt Chandler (of Village Church) fans. We like listening to podcasts every now and again. Click here to listen to a sermon from Easter that we found hugely impactful. His words really resonated with what God has been teaching us. Worth a listen!
Our family :-) Photo Credits to SJ Photography- they are fabulous!
