Press On.

In this instance I'll allow the divine word of God to speak on my behalf.

Philippians 3: 13-16 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view on things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Faith is tricky. By its very nature it is designed to refine and to test. I often wonder if we are willing to accept this fact. In Philippians our call as the people of God is to "forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead". This call is in direct opposition to our humanness. Being human we desire to control our circumstances and experience faith via amicable channels; bypassing fear, anxiety, and pain to receive our reward. I think it's quite the opposite. Faith is messy. Faith requires forgetting what is behind all the while enduring the pain of refinement. I know personally I involve the past in every decision I make. Past successes, past failures, past relationships - they all impact my present and often times my future. This is wrong. The past simply put pacifies. I find myself confiding in past accomplishments, drowning in past failures, all the while missing the beauty of what God is doing presently. To serve Christ and create radical change in our world we have no time to analyze the past. The simplest way to neuter our faith is by using the past as a guide to what God plans to do in our future. Faith is complete abandonment of days gone by and a full embrace of our future with God in complete control. As I mentioned in my last blog, each door opened and closed is by God's hand many times never to be replicated in the same fashion. Therefore there is no need to look to the past for answers to your future, simply believe in the one who sustains you through it all.

I mention this only so that you may be encouraged to know that nothing that comes from God is happenstance. Every move is brilliantly timed and intended to impact. For instance, Julie and I received an email yesterday entitled "Bad News". Simply put Alpha's current home has been denied by their government approval to place children until further notice. To spare details and to keep from saying anything that may cause harm to the process, let's just say fiscally the orphanage did not meet certain demands. If you know Africa you'll understand exactly what i'm getting at. In a matter of days we went from being on the verge of meeting our son (albeit in a picture) to being told the door was closed and Alpha would never become a Simpson. In this moment I understood what it meant to be refined. To have a desire of your heart so close to fruition only for it to dissolve before your eyes. But there is a peace. Although this was not the news Julie and I anticipated we are NOT worried. When we chose to adopt we knew deep in our soul that only God could bring this desire to completion. We chose faith then and we continue to choose faith now. God has ordained a specific child from Uganda to be our son. Who are we to question his methods? We know that he will provide, he always has.

In fact God did not delay in reassuring us as we gained word of a two (2) year old toddler in another orphanage who is in need of a family. Just like that he assured us of his unwavering provision and we continue to march ahead, refusing to let the past distort our future.  We continue to wait with the greatest of anticipation to see his face. He is currently awaiting a medical examination and if all comes back okay we will move forward. We ask that you continue to pray for Malachi's safe passage and that God would continue to test and refine our faith.

I pray that God would test your faith as well. When hardship and indecision invade your circumstance, which they most certainly will at one time or another, remind yourself that you are a chosen son / daughter of Christ and you will trust in his provision and continue to forge ahead. The shackles have been removed, you are free to trust in God and love him, knowing that ALL things are in his control and his love for you is unmatched. Bury the past. Keep the faith!

The journey continues.