Nobody's Victim

I don't take lightly that I brought four children out of their country, out of their culture, out of their language and everything familiar. We were assured by our lawyer, who is close friends with the director of social services, that there were no families in their home country who could take on and provide for four children. 

What would have been *best for them* is what is best for all of us, our own intact biological family. But that was not a possibility for them. There's pain, loss, hurt... So we did the best we could for them and brought them into our own family and hope and pray they sense their *place* with us. I pray for them often and out loud that they will know how much they are loved by us!

I was sharing the familiar story of Joseph with my two teenagers earlier in the week. Sold into slavery by his brothers, there had to have been a world of hurt for him. How could he have seen God's purposes in allowing such a thing? Then later, unjustly accused and thrown into prison, could nothing go right? But that trip to jail ended up bringing him before Pharoah himself, ended up being the catalyst to great power and riches. How could he have known? That trip to Egypt via slavery ended up being the catalyst to save his family, and in saving his family, saving a nation, a nation that would bring forth Messiah! What lessons we learn from Joseph! 1) We are NO ONE's victim! Our Sovereign God is in control and we can TRUST Him! 2) God can bring GOOD out of every situation!  Even when what has happened is NOT good, God can turn it to bring good.

Someday I'll be able to share with our younger four children (as our *common language* improves and as they grow older) that God brought them into our family and that God brought them to the United States. They were not victims of all that brought them here. God was in control and there every step of the way as their story was being written. He was and is weaving it together into something beautiful and with purpose...

And we ourselves, the *receiving family*, through our own hard times...God is bringing about something beautiful as He weaves us ALL together through good times and bad, pain and joy. 

As we put our trust in God, He does not fail us. He does not leave us alone to fend for ourselves. He does not waste our pain, He weaves it together into a Masterpiece that only He could design.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28