Many of you have messaged me recently offering encouragement and advice and I can't tell you how I covet your prayers and kind words. Many of you have expressed concern that all of the obstacles we have been battling have been God's way of telling us to stop. Here is the thing. I am certain that that is not true. I have spent this week committed to resting and remaining quiet before the Lord and hearing what He has to say. I have cried a river of tears and pounded my pillow with my fist more times than I can count, just trying to understand just what He is asking of us.
I can say that I feel like I have more clarity than I have had in quite sometime. I have had several of you message with words of encouragement because you too have fought a similar war. I have been reminded that while yes, sometimes our roadblocks are God saying, STOP! It is also true that sometimes Satan is fighting harder than ever to get us to give in and give up. I know that talk of Satan in our culture is often taboo and makes people uncomfortable and there is a reason for that. Satan is real and he is on the prowl trying to foil any plans to carry out the will of the Lord. God said “put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the devil.” He wasn't kidding. He knew what we would come up against and this is what it takes for us to be victorious. This battle is not ours. It is God's. He will win.
If I am being honest, at the beginning of this week I was ready to give up and give in. I was tired of fighting and just had nothing left, but as I have sought refuge in His mighty arms I have found the will to fight again. And fight we will. Everything has been seeming impossible and insurmountable this week. Satan is at work instilling fear and doubt. He has put up a roadblock and whispered in our ear that we are unfit, unworthy, and ill equipped. He has dug into our lives and found the deepest hurts and fears and pulled them to the surface causing us to doubt. My heart has been sick and my spirit tired.
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” Romans 8:1-2
We have sought council of some wise and Godly friends and they have reminded us that this IS in fact a war. The truth is that we have been extended grace that none of us deserve, we all fail, we all have shortcomings and sin, and we have all been made white as snow again. We may come from a broken past and have made mistakes, but that does NOT define who we are or what our future will be. Because of Christ's love for us we are free. Free from the bondage of sin and Satan will try to chain us down again and again and tell us lies, but the God we serve is so much bigger and He whispers the truth, that we are loved, we are free and our identity lies in Him. He loves us in spite of who we are not because of it. He has taken the shackles from our hands and though other men may try to pull us down and re-shackle us, He is bigger. There is NO condemnation. We are free to live Godly lives despite the fact that we all struggle with sin.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
Our spiritual battles are of will and of mind. We are not to go into battle without putting on the FULL armor of God. Paul tells us in Ephesians about each of the pieces of His armor that we are to put on BEFORE heading into battle, we are not to go in unequipped. The only way to combat the lies Satan sneaks in is to fill that mind with God's word, this is our sword. I needed this week to immerse myself in His word and fill my weary soul with His goodness and promise. I have been so thirsty for His truth and there is nothing like the quench that it provides. We HAVE been fighting unequipped and I believe God is right now calling us to take time to equip ourselves for this fight.
“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14)
His TRUTH is our belt and body armor. God is incapable of lying so we can stand firm on his promises because he WILL make good on them. We can rest assured that if He promises it, it will be. The lies we are hearing are not from God. He has blessed us with his perfect truth to help us stand our ground and not be moved.
“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared” (Ephesians 6:15).
God intends for those shoes to MOVE we are to move forward in offense and not just sit back and fight defense. We need to be at peace with God and his call for us, trusting that He has GREAT plans for us and that if we are in His will we need not worry. We must have peace to battle in spiritual warfare. That peace comes from the Good News that Jesus died for us and that we are FREE.
“In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil” (Ephesians 6:16).
We can't head into battle without our shield. We are told here that our shield is our faith. Paul is telling us here to stay alert. Jesus won the battle by what he did on the cross, but Satan is not going to lie down and take it quietly. He is going to do everything he can in opposition. He won't win, but he wants to take down as many people as possible. The devil is angry and he is out to use whatever he can to make us stumble. He uses, fear, anxiety, lust, idolatry, doubt and the list could go on forever. The thing is that we need to stand firm in our faith, knowing that God is who He says He is. He keeps His promises and has great plans for our good.
“Put on salvation as your helmet” Ephesians 6:17
Spiritual warfare takes place in the mind so it only makes sense that Paul warns us to put on a helmet. The helmet of salvation. We are to fix our minds on what Jesus has done for us and the truth in the fact that we are made clean and righteous because of what he has done.“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7)
We have to know without a doubt that God has our best interest at heart. We have to know that despite whatever we endure, he will never tempt us beyond what we can endure and he has a great plan for us. During spiritual battle the devil loves to tell us that we are not worthy, not children of God, not forgiven of all of our sins, not deeply loved by God, not called to do great things and live out the Gospel and that is what has been happening with us.
Paul also reminds us in Ephesians that when we are at ware we MUST remember to pray. “And pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18). We are to pray in all things, because it is true that whatever we do WITH God's blessing will succeed. If we feel called to something we must remain in prayer to remain in His will.
I never expected this journey to be one of the biggest fights of our lives, but it is proving to be just that. We are preparing ourselves. We are putting on each and every piece of that armor and praying through each of our days knowing that where He leads us He will help us to succeed. We will press on knowing that he calls us to love others and care for orphans, widows and those in need. We will continue to try to live the Gospel as well as we can. We will fight with everything that we have for those who cannot fight for themselves, because this, in no uncertain terms, is what God IS calling us to do. There are hurting kids out there who need a safe place to be for a time and we long to provide that. We covet your prayers as we continue to seek His will for us and move when He says move.
14 comments:
Most of the children in foster care are not orphans. They have a family. A family that you may have to send them back to. Calling them orphans is a slap in the face to that family. When I fostered, while I may not have agreed with anything that happened to that child, I also had to respect the first family God gave them to. They are not mine, they are not orphaned.
God is good. If it was meant to happen He will see you through it.
I understand what you are saying Sheri and I agree. I thought I worded that carefully enough and I guess I didn't. We are called to care for others, and for orphans and for those in need. I fully do understand and respect the fact that many kids will come and go back to their families when they are able, as a mother who has lost two children I hope for any child who is able TO be reconnected with their family. I have written about that before. I know we will be asked to love and let go. I know God will carry us through all of this.
I love you and Howard and am praying for this time of struggle Kristy. Knowing that God put this on your hearts, He will be faithful to bring it at the exact time. Praying for peace for you all. So many hurting children need love right now as they don't understand what is happening in their families. Love you guys so much and you have my support.
Love and Hugs, Laurie
amen and amen. i'm so thankful to hear you stand your ground for the Lord. satan does not get the victory! praying with you!
oh, and it reminds me of andrew peterson's song, dancing in the minefields. you and your husband are doing something beautiful and dangerous. but God wants to really bless you and the children that you love on, even temporarily. i just love you already!
muffy
Sometimes all we can do is stand on His promises and plead the blood of Jesus. I mean that literally. Plead the blood of Jesus.
I won't nitpick over you using the term "orphan". I think we all know that foster kids may not be orphaned in the literal or physical sense BUT when the issues are serious enough to warrant removal from their home, they ARE orphaned emotionally at that period in time. I choose to believe that is what you meant. When their parents are not available to them for whatever reason, they ARE orphaned. It may be possible for them to go back home but at that period in their lives they ARE orphaned.
Bless your heart for trying to help those who are in need of "parents". It's a huge undertaking as you well know and Satan will do his level best to defeat you. If God be for us, who can be against us?
What you and your husband have endured and how you have such open and loving hearts is inspiring to all who you have touched!
Maybe (just a suggestion that has worked for me during some difficult times...)to perhaps instead of thinking it as a "battle" or "war"...perhaps see it more as relaxing in God's love...a little easier. It's about being kind and gentle to yourself and your soul. God has indeed blessed your family (incidentally, Hope couldn't be cuter!).
As you know God takes care of it all...seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened...rest in that knowledge.
Kristy, we both know GOD always wins...so this battle may be tough, not not as tough as GOD! He will give you the desires of your heart. Stand fast in His love and know you have other warriors praying with you!
Love you,
LeeAnn
P.S. miss you on facebook. did you close your acct?
Show your doubters this video. http://smilesandtrials.blogspot.com/2011/03/adoption.html. It made me cry and totally want to sign up for foster care or adoption. Also, while foster children are not usually "orphaned," an abandoned child would be considered one in God's eyes. We are also commanded to "defend the fatherless" which means any child whose father is not fulfilling that calling. God bless you and your family, Kristy. He will honor you obeying him in this~ it doesn't matter what any of your friends, family or readers believe that counts. :)
We were foster parents to close to 100 children over 15 years. Some for a night and some for several years. I went into fostering with several misconceptions! The first set taught me vividly that no matter how horrible of a situation they come from, that was home. We had up to 10 children most of the time, including our own. Each Sunday and Wednesday night, they got to attend church - something most had never done at home, and something most of them truly loved. We had a tatoo'ed 10 year old. Children whose grandma was a practicing witch. A child who was John Doe because no one knew his name. A child so badly battered that at 18 months, he couldn't sit up because of the pain. Each one a special story. God gave us the ability to love them as our own, and then the ability to let them go. He can do that for you too. It is a ministry and you will be blessed.
Saw this quote this weekend, and when I read your post I kept thinking about it:
Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something, because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people. - Randy Pausch
Praying that your brick walls start to crumble.
Amazing post! I could so relate to the battles that rage. We've been in a season of intense spiritual warfare for the last year or two...like I've never experienced before. It has forced me to pray, fast,read, and seek Him like never before..just to survive. Keep moving forward in faith and confidence. We have the victory. God will be with you each shaky step of the way. Whether legally orphaned, physically orphaned or emotionally orphaned I think Jesus command to love the orphan spills over into any child who is left unloved, uncared for or defenseless. God bless you for striving to love children that need love.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
Praying for you and your sweet family, Kristy - the Lord is with you, and He will show you the plans He was for you!
Love from TX,
Laura
Praying for you on this journey...
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