But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and
entire, wanting nothing. – James 1:4
It has been more than a month since we have officially
yielded and handed this adoption back in to the Lord’s Mighty hands. Our submission is in the form of trusting
alone on the actions of God…even with the resources at our fingertips. The temptation has come in tiresome waves,
but the Lord has provided strength. I don’t know His will for all adoptions,
but I know He has called us to this test of patience and we have grown mightily
under the pressure. He has especially
worked a miracle in me and I have never known such peace amidst such
unknowns.
Our pastor preached on the story of Ruth this past Sunday.
I am visual person, so as he retold this well-known story, I clearly saw a
picture painted: A lowly outsider, dependent on mercy alone, diligently
gleaning in the field, probably crawling at times, or at least hunched over and
focused on the task at hand. And I saw a
benevolent Lord who instructed his reapers to walk before her and leave handfuls
along the path. I suddenly saw Ruth as a
picture of a believer and Boaz as our merciful Father. She was steadfast and focused on God’s will….and
the path before her was purposely strewn with the mercy and benevolence of
God. And yet, if Ruth had been
impatient, distractible, or stubborn, if she would have held her head high,
peeking over the other rows and hopping from field to field, she would have missed
the blessings the Lord had laid in her path.
She instead, worked steadily along in humility, following on one path as
she was instructed, until she came upon a generous handful, and another, and
another. This picture was a game changer
for me.
Faith means keeping my eyes focused on Him until I
stumble over the blessings underfoot?
God has used this adoption to grow our family (spiritually) more than I
could have ever imagined. I have TRIED
(by my own strength) to focus on the process rather than the product, the
journey rather than the destination, but nothing has ever made it so clear to
me than this picture of Ruth. I am to
glean for my daily bread. I am to follow a narrow path. I am to be grateful for
the day’s gathering. And I am to expect (by faith) that there will be blessings
poured out along my path, with no concern to what or where they are.
I can’t help singing “just keep gleaning…just keep
gleaning, gleaning, gleaning” (to the tune of the fish in Finding Nemo’s “just
keep swimming”) every time I feel the devil’s presence, a twinge of fear or
doubt. The Lord has given me this gracious clarity to keep me on the path,
knowing He has set a handful before me and only if I am steadfast and continue
in faith, will I find it there. The
commitment God has expected of me all this time is finally clear. This is what it means to rejoice in
tribulation. This is what it means to let patience have her perfect work.
When I am not singing goofy parodies to resist
temptation, the words of this hymn rest on my heart, bringing constant conviction and truth:
You have longed for sweet peace,
And for faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest,
Or be perfectly blest,
Until all on the altar is laid.
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.
Would you walk with the Lord,
In the light of His Word,
And have peace and contentment alway?
You must do His sweet will,
To be free from all ill,
On the altar your all you must lay.
O we never can know
What the Lord will bestow
Of the blessings for which we have prayed,
Till our body and soul
He doth fully control,
And our all on the altar is laid.
Who can tell all the love
He will send from above,
And how happy our hearts will be made,
Of the fellowship sweet
We shall share at His feet,
When our all on the altar is laid.
And for faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest,
Or be perfectly blest,
Until all on the altar is laid.
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.
Would you walk with the Lord,
In the light of His Word,
And have peace and contentment alway?
You must do His sweet will,
To be free from all ill,
On the altar your all you must lay.
O we never can know
What the Lord will bestow
Of the blessings for which we have prayed,
Till our body and soul
He doth fully control,
And our all on the altar is laid.
Who can tell all the love
He will send from above,
And how happy our hearts will be made,
Of the fellowship sweet
We shall share at His feet,
When our all on the altar is laid.
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