I Need More Jesus

Adoption can definitely be a lonely path.  Not so this weekend at Created For Care in Atlanta, where I -- along with over 400 other adoptive moms -- landed for a time of refreshment, encouragement and cheer.  Actually, the thing I liked most, the thing that I found most refreshing, was spending time with my friend Deb.   Coming in a close second was waking up in the morning to silence, slowly stretching myself awake, glancing at the clock and rolling back over.  Beautiful.  Priceless.  They should make one of those credit card commercials about that.

I walked away with one thing: I need more Jesus.

During a session completely anointed by the Holy Spirit, amidst all of these women worshiping our Abba Father, I knew each person in the room was embraced by Grace, drowning in the sea of God's love, in awe as we watched the screen flash pictures of family after family.   Diverse families from all over, all testimonies of how God brings beauty out of the ashes of our world and ourselves.  I was really in a state of awe.  This was refreshment for my soul.  This was shouting out the character of God...which I sometimes question.  His compassion, mercy and grace and kindness, the things that make up His perfect character, were ALL OVER those pictures, filling my heart with JOY.

The speakers were real and transparent people, dealing with the often hard realities of adoption and speaking practical wisdom.  They told us about their trials, mistakes.  In short, it wasn't pretty.  Yet it was beautiful.   Overall, it was about this:

Abide in Jesus and let Him do the rest.  Do what HE wants you to do, not what YOU want to do or the adoption community wants you to do or your feelings want you to do.  Be under His discretion.   Do not forge ahead without Him.  The speaker was talking to a room full of doers, risk-takers...and controllers.  Sometimes we don't need to do anything but pray....wait...sit at the feet of Jesus...rest...and play kitchen with our little girls.

More Jesus, less me.