hard doesn't = bad

Lately, as we are again waiting, this phrase has been running through my mind:

"This is so hard. Adoption is SO HARD."

Sometimes (and I can't lie), I wonder why we ever did this to our family. Why put ourselves through the paperwork, the money, the time, THE WAIT - oh the wait, the heartache, the tears, the fear and the pain. We could have continued down the path we were on - 2 kids, getting pregnant again (that happened quickly for me) and going on our merry little way. But God just slammed my heart with the word ADOPTION and ever since then, life has been HARD.

But is life ever really easy? There are financial burdens, illnesses, relationship issues and parenting fails no matter what we do. We can choose a mundane predictable hard life or a Spirit-filled adventurous hard life. I choose the latter and I think that's what this family chose too:

I guarantee you that life is not easy for them, but how fulfilling and exciting it must be!

The hard is what gives us character.

The hard gives us strength.

The hard makes you appreciate the outcome so much more.

The hard brings us closer to God.

The hard makes us more like Jesus.

Jesus, by no means, had what you would call a mundane predictable hard life. It was Spirit-filled and adventurous. If we are to be like him, what does this look like?

It means not living with a spirit of fear. It means saying YES when God calls you to something hard. It means realizing that life is hard but you choose to live a meaningful hard life instead of a mundane one.

I can tear up just thinking about what our life would have been like if we hadn't said YES to adoption. How could we have missed out on this beautiful little girl? How could we have continued on our merry little way while all around the world millions of children go to bed every night without a mommy or daddy to tuck them in? That is a tragedy. How could we have missed out on the spiritual growth? How could we have missed out on the impact this adoption has had on our boys? I pray that it alters the course of their whole lives...that caring for the "least of these" is just what you do.

I am not naive to think that adopting one child is going to solve the orphan crisis or even put a dent in it. It is so complex. I pray that our eyes are opened to more that we can do. We don't have all the answers. We are just stumbling down the path God called us to and holding on to His hand. At times it is frightening.

What is God calling you to do? Are you afraid to step out in faith because it might be hard? Hard does not equal bad as I used to think. I pray that we as followers of Jesus don't shy away from the hard and choose the comfortable. In doing so we miss out on the blessings God will rain down on us as we trust Him completely.