You might be wondering about the title of this blog post considering it has seemingly little to do with adoption or Ethiopia. But I chose it because it reminds me of a story about my grandparents that I have been thinking about lately as my plans for our adoption and God’s plans have been at odds with each other.
The story is simple. After 30 years of working in a steel mill and raising 3 children my grandparents planned to move to table rock lake (about a 4 hour drive from their home in Kansas City). There my grandfather planned to be a fishing boat guide and live out his retirement in relative ease and relaxation. (I never asked my grandma what she was going to do, but I can assume it would involve solitaire and puzzles) But it turns out, my grandparent’s plans and God’s plans didn’t align, a feeling Mike and I are all too familiar with these days. You see God didn’t need another fishing boat guide he needed missionaries. So with a single phone call from an old friend, my grandparent’s retirement turned from relative ease and relaxation to over 15 years of ministry all along the east coast (about a 4 day drive from their home in Kansas City).
What you might ask does this have to do with your adoption? Well, it is my reminder that no matter how far God’s plan and timing may be from our own; his are always better. The ripple of my grandparent’s ministry was vast, I can only imagine all that would have miss out if they had chosen the ripple of a physical lure over the spiritual ripple of following God’s will. And I know I will look back someday just as I now can at their story and see why this adoption has happened the way it has. I will understand God’s timing and see his will at work. I will count the ripples of our choices just as I do my grandparents.
Thanks for such a thoughtfully written piece!
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