Persistence

Maggie the "Persistenator"(hey, it's my blog, I can make up words :-)

So, I was really discouraged this morning with our news from our agency. Yet, tonight, as I was reading Answers to Prayer by George Mueller (fantastic book, by the way), I was greatly convicted by my discouragement. Whenever this amazing man was faced with challenges, this is what he said about them, "The difficulties, which He is pleased to allow to arise, are only allowed, under such circumstances, for the exercise of our faith and patience; and more prayer, more patience, and the exercise of faith, will remove the difficulties."

Now, we have prayed, if the Lord has another home for this precious little guy that we have fallen in love with...we want him there. We want him where the Lord wants him because that is what is best for him. But, I realized, that we weren't given a definite "No" today. Our agency was frustrated because it wasn't a definite "No" or a definite "Yes". Yet, to me, that is a green light to keep praying and exercising our patience (which, by the way, is not my greatest virtue). I realized that George Mueller was like my Maggie...she really doesn't like to take "No" for an answer. I know that most kids don't like to take "No" for an answer, but Maggie just doesn't give up. And sometimes, even though this goes against EVERY parenting rule in the book, I will give up after she has asked me 109,000 times for a lollipop...I will give it to her just because she keeps asking. I wonder if the Lord sometimes just delights in us asking. So, until we are given a definite "No" we are going to keep asking for our little man. And, if in the Lord's sovereignty, he gives us a for sure "NO" and sends this little guy to a different family, then that is what is best for him, for us, and for God's glory.

All that to say...we are still holding out hope for our little man's file!

One last quote from Muller, "I have thus minutely dwelt on these various matters for the encouragement of the reader, that he may not be discouraged by the difficulties, however great and many and varied, but give himself to prayer, trusting in the Lord for help, yea, expecting help, which, in His own time and way, He will surely grant."