Adoption Journey – Page 8 – words from wick

Advent: Peace

Posted on December 9, 2012December 9, 2012 by Wick

You know that feeling you get in the midst of a conversation, when someone is talking and it triggers something amazing you really want to contribute to what’s being said? But one person to the next, the conversation moves forward, and you’re struggling to find a place to insert your audible “foot in the door”. Finally, as you sense your window of opportunity passing, you take a deep breath, allow yourself to “let go” of the need to say something, and experience a moment of peace.

That’s nothing.

This peace we talk about during Advent, is the peace of the world. Peace for a creation that is waiting and groaning for what God has in store. We’ve experienced this peace in our own lives as well.

Peace that came to me as a teenage boy, working late one night at a campground. Surrounded by the animals I was caring for, smelling the straw and the dung. I was feeling the frustrations of life, all the angst of being a teenage boy full of unknowns, multiplied by a difficult family background that made me wonder what would become of life. I was reminded of a baby boy who was God, born into a similar scene, and the promise that boy gave to always be with me.

Peace that came to my wife and I, in the midst of our 3rd child waiting in the womb. The doctors had found something that caused alarm in a recent ultrasound. They explained calmly how this could really be nothing at all. Or it could be something terrible. We spent time and tears in prayer, offering our worries to God, and asking that He would give us peace. Ruby continues to be a reminder of God’s ability to bring peace in the unknown moments.

Peace that we rely on even now, waiting for concrete news on bringing home our daughter from Africa. There are horrible living conditions in the DRC, in the midst of peace talks between their soldiers and rebels in the East. We’re trying to raise funds in the midst of a season where most people we know have already stretched their budgets tight to provide Christmas for their families. There are others “ahead of us” in waiting for a referral (where we would be matched with our daughter). But one step at a time, requirements are being met that will lead to us rescuing our daughter. We are being reminded of the peace He offers even now.

It’s not a peace that declares “Everything will go well from now on.” After all, it wasn’t long after the arrival of Jesus that Herod ordered the horrible slaughter of babies across the land. In this we are reminded that peace is so much more than “things going well”, or a quiet starry scene with someone singing “Silent Night” in the background.

Peace, is the presence of God in our midst. Immanuel. In our joy. In our worries. In our suffering. We have a peace that passes understanding. We will have it still tomorrow. Breathe deep…and be thankful…

love does a book review.

Posted on November 29, 2012November 29, 2012 by Wick

Recently I read an article in “Relevent Magazine” that pointed me to an author. My thought was “Wow, even if I don’t end up liking his book, I really like some things about this guy.” As it turns out, his book is pretty great too. He’s written “Love Does – Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World.” I took the book with me as “light reading” on a trip to Atlanta last month. It ended up being the perfect companion to traveling the midwest on a “Megabus” (that’s another post all in itself – imagine the smell of urine, awesome people from Africa, a home-land security drug-bust, and the smell of pot at 1am). It was filled with great reminders of this mysterious element he calls “whimsy” throughout his book.

I’ll admit, many of his stories left me thinking, “Yeah, but what would that kind of love look like without that kind of money?” But the foundations behind many of those stories are infinitely transferrable. Too often, life gets into a routine of the expected. Even in the lives of we who actually talk with G-D on a regular basis. (hold on a sec….read that again….we TALK. with G-D. whimsey enough for you?) We lose sight of the beautiful, the magical, the whimsical. We don’t look much beyond what is expected.

But Love does.

His book is full of example after example of how Love looks beyond what has been done already. Love is compelling. Love is looking for new ways to be communicated and felt. Love lives open-palmed, sacrificing itself for others. Reading this book will make you want to write a love poem for your wife. It will make you want to do a fancy tea party with your daughters. It will make you want to talk to the lady that barks (thought it was a sneeze at first….nope…totally a bark….like a small dog.) across the aisle from you on the Megabus as if she’s an infinitely-loved child of God. Because….she is.

One story in particular came at a great time. We’ve applied for grants for this adoption. We’ve gotten denied. There are a lot of people applying for these grants…and not everyone can get approved. We’re doing a fundraiser this month, and it seems a difficult season to find people who are able to join us. It’s a discouraging season. But we still believe this is the direction we’re called and moving.

In Christian-speak, we say of moments like these, “Perhaps God is closing a door….” It helps us walk away from potential with dignity. But Goff talks about moments like these if a different way. He experienced something similar when applying for law school, and because he believed God had led him that direction – he wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. You should read the book to get the whole story, but in the end Goff points out that sometimes God allows a door to close, just so he can see us kick it down.

Another cool thing about God using that story to encourage us? I called Bob Goff to thank him. I left a message. (His number is probably pretty busy, since it’s published in his book.) He called me back, and we talked about God moving in my family’s life. He said, “When I hear about the DRC, I’ll think of Wick.” I believe he just might, and with all of his work in Uganda – he may hear of the DRC often.

I look forward to calling him back when the door is kicked down completely…:) (if you wanna help kick it, click here)