Exceedingly, Abundantly, Above All That We Ask or Think

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21

I love those verses.  As the Lord would have it, we were blessed to hear a brother teach on this passage when he was a guest speaker in our area last fall.  The way he broke it down really stuck with me.  God is able.  He is able to do all that we ask.  Not just all we ask, but all we think.  Not just all we ask or think, but ABOVE all that we ask or think.  Not just above all that we ask or think but abundantly. . .exceedingly.  Have you ever stopped to think about all those. . .hmmm, what are they?  Adverbs?  Superlatives?  (Where are the grammar police when we need them?)

We've had verses we held onto in each of our past adoptions.  This is the passage the Lord seems to have given us for this particular journey.  Doug's teaching on this passage seemed to be an answer to prayer as we were (rather fearfully at that time, I confess) considering answering a need for a little girl who was born blind and with a severe cleft palate and needed a family.  This verse reminded us that God is able.  That situation didn't end up coming to fruition, but this passage has continued to resonate in our minds.

As soon as the previously mentioned newsletter arrived in people's mailboxes, the Lord was moving hearts to send gifts.  I can think of no more appropriate verb--the checks and the notes simply poured in.

Getting the mail each day was so much fun!  In addition to the generous monetary gifts, people shared their hearts and encouragement in notes.  Some people were moved to share what a blessing adoption had been in their lives.  Others shared their losses of longed-for children, their support of life, and their belief that children are a blessing.  Still others told us they were moved to pray for Abigail, that she might come to realize the love of the Lord in this painful season.  One lady wanted to "pay it forward" from her experience in her childhood of a couple showing her the love of Christ in hopes that we would share Christ's love with this little girl as a member of our family.  Another lady told us how she had recently been in the parking lot of an "abortuary" (her word, I assume maybe a Planned Parenthood?), mourning the approximately 40 cars in the lot and praying for the Lord to show her something she could do to help save these babies.  When she received the newsletter in her mailbox, she knew it was an answer to that prayer.  Many of these notes brought tears to our eyes and all filled our hearts with praise and thanksgiving.

In just a week, our need had been met!  We were amazed at what the Lord had done.  While we received approval for that loan from the bank, we will not need to borrow a single cent.  The Lord is indeed able--exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think--and He is glorified in the church by Christ Jesus.

How fun it was to share with as many people as we could, as quickly as we could, that the need had been met.  As in the days of Moses, we asked the people to stop giving

So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp saying let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.  And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done--indeed too much.  Exodus 36:6-7

Would you ever have dreamed that this would happen?  I never would have even asked or imagined he would do this!  Yet He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all--and He chose to bring glory to Himself in the church.  How very, very full my heart is as a result of His working.

Answered Prayer

It's funny how clearly we can see answers to prayer when we step out in faith.

I hate to talk too much about money (it makes everyone a bit uncomfortable, right?), but unfortunately, money is a rather large part of the adoption process.  It also provides an avenue for the Lord to make His provision abundantly clear.

We really stepped out on faith financially this time--more than we've ever done before (which to spell it out for you means we have less money saved than we ever had in any of our other adoption journeys).  I have to admit I thought we might receive some assistance from our local church and we swallowed our pride to share all the details with the leadership only to have them say they would not be assisting us financially at all.  The first time we've ever asked for any help and we get a flat no.  Discouraging, to say the least.

We even went through a couple days wondering if we should be on this journey again after all.  We  had prayed for the Lord's guidance and discernment all along the way, but we were second guessing.  Maybe this is just foolish to step so far out in faith.  Besides, we have five kids already.  And we will be almost 60 years old by the time this child is of an age to be independent.

Oh, the father of lies is sneaky, sneaky. 

But we talked with an older brother in the Lord for whom we have utmost respect and he was only encouraging.  When Alan came right out and asked if he thought we were being foolish, he adamantly replied "No."  He asserted that this child needs a home and he or she needs to be in our home.  Encouraged (that is, filled with courage), we continued onward.  We've been praying for discernment, for provision, for trust and peace.

The Lord then proceeded to be so kind as to give us three affirmations that we are following Him and that He will provide.   I just have to record these so I don't forget them, so I can glorify the Lord, and so I can revisit them at some time in the future when I need to be reminded of His provision.

1. First, our former church in Missouri before we moved to Iowa sent us an unsolicited check for $1,000 when we shared the good news with them.
2. Next, we were leaving a friend's house and he pulled Alan aside to ask (again, unsolicited) if we would please let him be a part of our adoption journey.  He would like to buy one of our plane tickets to travel to Phoenix to pick up the baby (I'm guessing this will cost around $500 as we don't know the exact date Abigail will go into labor so we can't get tickets ahead of time).
3. Third, Alan has been serving as the Operations Manager over two branches at his job the last few months while a co-worker is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.  The end of last week his boss was thanking him for the job he has been doing and told him he would be receiving a bonus this week.  "I think you will be very happy with it," were the exact words.  I don't yet know the amount of this bonus, but I know every dollar of it will be applied toward adoption costs.

Doesn't that sound like answers to prayer to you?  The Lord is going to provide, yet again!

It's humbling (but not humiliating) to think He cares so much for me to move His people to answer my prayer.  I must admit it's not as easy for me to be a recipient as it is to be the giver, but I know how the Lord works.  He uses our needs to grow us--both the person receiving and the person who has the opportunity to be used by the Lord to meet a need.

Really, isn't it neat to think that the Lord allows us to be used to answer someone else's prayer?  It convicts me to continue walking in the Spirit (as Paul encouraged in Galatians) heeding the nudge to give, to make that call to a lonely person, to send that card of encouragement or friendship, to make a second lasagna to share.