NOT EASY . . . BUT AWESOME!!!

Today, I found myself reading Matthew 7, and reflecting on what it says.

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. and great was its fall."
And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

I guess as I was reflecting on the times when we believed we were to take a step out in faith, because it was what we knew God wanted us to do, it has not been "easy" and sometimes a bit "scary" but we knew we could weather the storm because He was with us. Every time we do, He teaches us so many things about Him and about ourselves. I hope I will always remember His words, "but he who DOES the will of My Father in heaven." I want those words to be more powerful than any selfish feelings I might have. He has shown us over and over again, that a house built on Him the Rock, will be able to withstand the rain and storms when they happen. And did you notice it didn't say "if" but clearly stated they would come. I believe we are to expect them. It also made me think of what it feels like to go outside after a storm has passed by. The air seems refreshed, sometimes the yard is a mess and needs a little rearranging, but it usually leads to a cleaner yard. We pick up and throw out the things that came down during the storm, or repair the week things. I think we do that in our lives as well. We find the weaknesses or the parts in our busy lives that really are not productive or useful, and those need to go to the way side during a trial. You may find they need to leave your priority list all together. Today, I am thankful for our Rock!

This has been a tough week, but exciting week. Jon and David are in Ukraine, they signed Kristina out of the orphanage for good on Monday, and went to get her passport. All went well, and they headed for Kiev, for their Embassy appointment the next day. My grandmother (almost 92) was found in her home with a broken hip. She had been there for a few days before she was found. Praise God, she did well having surgery and is recovering now. Jon lost an envelope of money, which was a little stressful, but thanks for all the prayers, he found it when they got to Kiev and could thoroughly go through the luggage. They went to the Embassy on Tuesday, went to get her medical exam done and were done for Tuesday. They said it is really hot there. Today, Wednesday, they should already be at the Embassy right now, finishing her visa process, and leaving with it in hand any minute now. They plan to do some sight seeing around Kiev today and tomorrow. They get on a plane Friday at 5:30 AM to head home. WE cannot wait to meet them in Boston! This has been an incredible journey beyond words. We did not plan to adopt a 16 year old girl, but God said to us, "My plans are better than your plans." We needed to trust in Him, and David is having the best time with his new sister right now. He is so happy and says she is great! She even wrestles with him and puts him in a head lock. Jon and I both felt like she was already part of our family. God knits families together in such different ways than society does. I pray, if God has ever tugged on your heart regarding someone in need of the love of Christ, and you can be used to share it, consider, pray and take a step of faith. Who knows where it will lead? He won't leave you, you will have storms, but if you keep your eyes on Him, you can't go wrong.