Where's the Money Comin' From?

                                                        (Nicaraguan Cordoba)

"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." ~2 Corinthians 10:17


The last couple of days I have been thinking about the timing of this adoption in our family. There's a pretty big part of me that wishes we could have brought our kids home while our oldest son, Tyler, was still in High School. Then he could have experienced ALL of it with us, including our extended stay in Nicaragua (though we are planning on him coming down for a week when he can, Lord willing). 


However, I got to thinking and realizing that financially, this was the best time. I've written before about God's provision of Tyler's first year of college tuition. It wasn't there, then it was... From zero, to prayer, to there, and all within a few short months! Then in the spring, since there is no cafeteria and he was staying in N.C. for the summer, we really thought he needed a vehicle. Again, we prayed and he prayed. To make a long story short, God called an amazing family to GIVE him a vehicle. 


IF God had called us to adopt BEFORE Tyler went to college, I think it would have been harder to see where the college money would come from. I don't know if I would have had that kind of FAITH. I hope I would have, but I see God's wisdom in this timing. 


Seeing what God did over Tyler's first year of college to provide, when God told us to take on this adoption it was easier to see and believe that God would again shock us with provision. There was no time to fund raise; the adoption process came on like a whirlwind! But God stretched money and also provided, and stretched money and provided all last year. I believe He will do it again as this time we will stretch farther!


"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:19


The challenge for us is to see that God provided for today, for this week and to trust Him as we move through our adoption day by day, expense by expense. If you know us well enough to be able to peek into our lives, you might have wondered how in the world we are able to do all this. Rest assured!! We are NOT ABLE! But GOD is ABLE!


I hope this is an encouragement to someone today! If God is asking you to do something you can trust that He will provide! He may ask you to sacrifice other things, like a pretty kitchen or a newer car, but the adventure of obeying Him far outweighs those temporal "things" we tend to think we need. 


"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act." Psalm 37:5


Funny side note... Robin is learning all about the ATM machines in Nicaragua. First he tried to take out several hundred dollars (we have to pay our expenses down there in cash so you take out and then pay immediately so you are not carrying all this money around!). The ATM machine he went to didn't have enough money in it! So he had to be satisfied with $200 U.S. dollars. A couple of days later he was able to try a second machine in a different location and tried to take out $300. It gave it to him in CORDOBA's !!! So, $300 Cordoba's was $12.85 in U.S. dollars!! We had a good laugh about it on the phone last night! It's an adventure every time!! :)