Now that we're back in the state, and the country, for now, we can get back on track! It's hard to keep things going quickly when you have a computer break down on you, wait for a new one, and go on two trips close together. But aside from the black eye I got from a kid's foot in the ocean, I can't complain about the traveling. It is something I really enjoy about the summer, even if jelly fish love me and bruises are always plentiful no matter where I am! Even my knee got to know the steps of the front porch of our Chincoteague rental house.
A friend asked me today if a toe can be sprained. I told her if it could, I think I would have done it.
Anyway, Dan-the-social-worker is coming on Monday for his walk-through visit. The criminal clearance letter came through, and we're waiting for one more letter to come to us directly for something (I forget what). We're finishing up on references (so those of you who are on the reference list should be hearing from him soon if you haven't already). Home study should be done by the end of the month I'd say. So we're getting there! We could actually use the delay financially though. August and September are typically slower months and our IRA plummeted drastically in the last three weeks. HORRIBLY. Not that we were going to use that anyway, but it's still discouraging as far as money is concerned. We still have a lot to save before we can do the next big step of paying our translator. And then a lot more to save in the 3-5 months following while we wait to go to Ukraine.
The biggest thing that was on my mind today is more related to other peoples' adoption stories. I read several other adoption blogs, and while it is nice that so many people seem to involve God in their decisions and lives - as thoroughly as they can, their opinions of God's hand in their lives is quite... different than mine. I thought about writing to a couple of them to ask their opinion on a couple scriptures that seem to conflict with what they've said, having noted their opinions through their blogs, but it's a little more direct than I like to be generally. And since a lot of non-friends and family tend to end up on our blog and read what I write, I will mention no names. But I will try to briefly compare viewpoints so you understand why I shake my head in sympathy at some of these soon to be adopters.
As some of you probably have come across many times before, it seems that many people believe that if something goes great in your life, God worked that out for you. If something goes bad in your life, God is trying to teach you something. And if you make a good decision, God put that decision into your heart. And if something goes wrong, throwing it in God's hands means that God will work it out for you and if he doesn't, he has his reasons and it's wrong (and faithless) to question why things go wrong. It makes me feel bad for people who believe this as part of their strong faith. To me it's not much of a comfort mechanism, although I suppose that's what they feel like it achieves. To me, what the Bible teaches is much more comforting. I don't really understand what particular scriptures make them think that God micro-manages their lives?
As most of you who read this know, the Bible teaches that God wants to helps us cope with our problems, and will help us if you ask for it, but will not necessarily take our problems away. He does not cause our problems, and especially not to teach us something. (James 1:13) Though God created the world and everything else, the world is lying in Satan's power currently (for reasons that are a whole-nuther-subject), so he causes our problems. Not God. (1 John 5:19, John 12:31, John 14:30) The other thing that causes our problems is time and unforeseen occurrence. (Ecc. 9:11) In other words, sometimes things just HAPPEN. Things that are inconvenient, or even awful. NOT everything happens for a reason, and the Bible says so.
I think why the alternate viewpoints nearly irritate me is that when people think that God manages such details in their lives so individually, that when things go wrong, whether they realize or not they are blaming God. Even if they say they are just putting it in God's hands and not worrying about it, that He will work out their problem when He is ready (or they may someday come to understand the wisdom of God for putting them through this issue), they think God is for some reason causing it. Not just allowing it. And I feel bad for the people that they don't understand what a few minutes of proof from the Bible and real listening would solve. And it would give them real comfort about even bigger issues...
Knowing the reasons why the world is the way it is (imperfect and sometimes evil), and why God allows it to be that way for now, I think is one of the most comforting truths someone can learn and so few people seem to really know. But not everyone wants to know, they're happy with their comfort mechanism even if there is no real scriptural backup for it. It's just what they've always believed. They maybe can't wrap their brain around the difference between God caring for, paying attention to, and loving them verses arranging every detail of their lives. So that's why I thought I would just write it here so those who want to read it can and those don't, won't be forced to get annoyed at someone disagreeing with their firm beliefs by reading these things in a well-meaning email to them.
That was adoption related, right?
Love,
Molly
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
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4 comments:
Nice explanation. Anyone who is interested in the truth will read the scriptural references you gave and will see more clearly what the Bible viewpoint is on these things.
VERY good post! GREAT points! AWESOME!!! :)))
Molly, you're way of expressing things so wonderfully simply and still have a profound message ... blows my mind!! You make me so very, very proud!!
OOOPS!! I misspelled "your"!!! LOL!!!
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