Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Learning to say "no"

I hear people say that they have to learn to say "no",
saying "yes" is easy -
but they have a hard time saying "no".

Their plates are full - 
but they keep adding stuff to their schedules.

I ask you -

is the problem actually saying yes  to too many things,

or is it what we are saying yes too?


I was in a meeting a few weeks ago with some people who just didn't understand 
why we would be adopting again.

I don't know how you do it -
I'm too busy to do that.

and 

I just don't have the energy.

and the popular

God knows I can't do that.

I have to ask you -
have you ever asked God? 
or are you deciding what God has planned for you?

Do you know what God thinks of the orphan and widow?

HE LOVES THE ORPHAN and WIDOW!

Isaiah 1:17,
Learn to do right, seek justice, defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow. 

Matthew 25:45,
'Truly I tell you, 
whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, 
you did not do for me.'

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans;
I will come to you.

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows
in their distress
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

If we as Christians truly strive to be Christ-like
then why aren't we saying yes?

Why are we making excuses?


Why do we walk away from those in need?


Where would these six treasures be if we had not been willing to take a leap of faith
and let God lead us ?


We are not an extra-ordinary family.
We don't have extra-ordinary faith.


We have our issues
(oooohhh, believe me we have our issues! :)


We have an extra-ordinary GOD!


I am begging y'all!!!
PRAY!
Ask God, beg God,
He wants to lead you -
what does HE want you to do? 


5 comments:

Yvette said...

Love this! I thought when we adopted God would help us to be better parents. Now I realize (and tell people) jsut like in the Bible he uses the least likely people to do his work. So when you see us having a bad day please look up and think man if God can use them, he sure can use me!

Sharon said...

Thank you for posting this, Jodi. I was having a conversation with a friend last night and she asked me if we think we would adopt again. Five years ago I would have said that we would be COMPLETELY done with five (and honestly, a few months back I would have probably said that!), but we know better now than to close our hearts. We're certainly imperfect and our home is full, busy and loud, but somehow God working in our midst.

quilt'n-mama said...

Thank you friend for sharing your heart, we have been wrestling with this very topic at our house:) I hope it is ok, I quoted you on a blog post today.
Praying for you and your little guys who wait this morning and for your kiddos at home too.

Tobi Wright said...

Amen! Thank you for being brave and speaking what God has spoken to your heart without fear of criticism!

Unknown said...

Thanks for your great reminders, dear friend, that we should all be asking God what our part is in loving these precious little ones!

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