JUST EXPECT MORE

I had a conversation with some girlfriends that has had me ruminating since it happened. It was a girls’ night out for a Chonda Pierce gathering nearby. This occurred back in November, so it has really been swirling in my mind for a while. That’s how most of these blog posts end up being written. I just have to get it out.

Well, we were on the way and talking about some of the stuff our kids have been learning, bible study topics, and how the kids have processed the information. Well, if you have read my posts from the get-go, you know that I have an adopted daughter who is currently 7 years old. I homeschool her and do morning bible study with her on any number of topics. I found a great, free devotional for kids called, Keys For Kids, that we’ve really enjoyed. One particular day, the topic was about choosing godly friends. It was a good lesson, but my daughter was immediately defensive. I know that one of her friends is not a Christian or church-goer. She immediately assumed I was trying to tell her that she shouldn’t continue her friendship with this little girl.

I’m just going to put this out there like I put it to her. I don’t really do the whole making friends or loved ones read between the lines when I have something to say. If I’m trying to get you to discontinue a friendship, you’ll know because my words will probably be something like, “You know, this friend of yours isn’t really leading you in a positive direction. Let’s find another friend to spend time with.” I mean, you know that I’m not approving. You know that I am saying you shouldn’t spend time with this person. There really isn’t much left between the lines. I’ve said what I mean in bold letters and wide spacing. You’ll know if I ‘mean’ something.

Well, I had to figure out how to explain this idea to her. I did that ‘super-fast, throw the prayer as high and as fast into God’s hands as I could’ kind of prayer. I immediately remembered when she came into our family and the situation that instigated the move. When a mother goes into labor and goes to the hospital, both are blood tested for all kinds of things. One of those revealed for her and her birth mother testing positive for cocaine. Immediately, the state stepped in and put her as a newborn into Foster Care. After being placed with 3 different Foster families around Florida, she came to us unexpectedly at 6 weeks old. We were not part of the Foster Care program or any other type of agency. We just happened to know someone in common who reached out to us for help. We did.

There are really any number of issues that can arise in a child who starts off life this way. The agencies prepared us for all kinds of health and mental issues that could possibly emerge as time went on.

I must tell you that my family is a faith-filled, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing family. So, when I brought her home from the courthouse, it was a Wednesday – church night! I brought her, of course, with us to church and immediately called on my closest friends whom I know can be counted on to pray earnestly and faithfully for her. I asked for prayers for this tiny new life entrusted to me. I knew what could happen. But I wanted those who could stand in faith with me praying for healing, truth, and wholeness.

The professionals in the system told me to expect possible speech deficiencies. Well, God didn’t JUST produce a child who had no speech issues. No. He created a child who was fully conversational by the time she was 2 with an amazing vocabulary that is still growing exponentially. She could have had issues that caused delayed muscular development and delayed ability to walk. Go didn’t JUST give me a child with no physical deficiencies. No. He gave me a child that stood up in the middle of my living room and walked across the entire house at 7 1/2 months old! She could have had any number of learning disabilities that could hold her back. God didn’t JUST make her normal and average. No. He produced in her a love of learning and an advanced mind that is always searching and growing. At 7 years old, she’s in 4th grade learning pre-algebra and doing chemistry experiments, growing vegetables in her own garden, and looking toward entrepreneurship as quickly as she can figure out how to get me into the idea of starting her own business.

Now, back to the conversation with my daughter about godly friends. What if I had called those friends who don’t share my faith, my vision for what God can and will do? They would have suggested the same things those professionals did. I would have expected nothing but what was suggested. And what we expect, we usually receive. Godly friends are a must for a believer. I know no matter what is going on in my life whom to call for prayers, for those who will direct me to God’s truths in my life, for those who will be honest with me when I’m wrong and need redirection.

But there’s so much more to this. It gets even better! Have you ever listened to the words when you pray? I started hearing myself saying things like, “God, JUST heal them,” or, “God, JUST show them your strength,” and, “JUST help them.” How many times do I use the word ‘just’ in my prayers? How about the idea that we probably are saying to those around us things like, “I can only JUST pray. I don’t know what else to do.”

Seriously! JUST?!

Does God JUST do anything? God didn’t JUST heal my child of all the many things that could have gone wrong. God didn’t JUST bless me with a wonderful husband. No, God goes over and above all that we could ever ask or expect! My prayers, my speech, my expectations need to line up with that!

We all just celebrated the New Year and many may have resolutions you hope to follow through with. Well, mine is to be more purposeful with my prayers, my speech, my expectations. God IS more, DOES more, GIVES more, LOVES us more than we give Him credit for.

He’s not JUST God.

HE IS GOD!

(And go see Chonda Pierce. She’s awesome and you’ll receive so much more than laughs. Seriously, go.)