Week 15

I have really been enjoying the start to the Christmas season! For those of you who haven't yet seen it, the Atwoods receieved their referral last Thursday for their precious and long awaited boy, Isaac. Check it out and congratualte them. We are SO happy for them!! We are on 15 weeks today and the last few weeks have been a great time even as we have been waiting. God keeps working joy in our hearts as we trust His wisdom. We anticipate that call with great excitement but rest in the Lord knowing he is working all things for HIS glory. This adoption is among all things about that. This is not just to work some "good" thing we attempt to do as the world can do, nor to get a prcious baby, or even to resuce a child from Africa but we believe though it may be all those things, by His grace, it is ultimately for HIS glory so I pray we will not murmur if things continue to take longer than expected. Please see this post from good friends adopting to read a very encouraging post they wrote recently. It definately puts things in perspective. I have been gaining a lot of grace from this puritan paperback I've been reading. I'm realizing more and more only the Lord can cause my heart to see that what he has given is perfect. The problems arise when my desires are for more that the Lord has given at the present time. Only by God's grace am I able to see clearly and rest in His dealings with me. I hope the quote below brings great refreshment to the way you see your lot in life right now. We'll post when we hear something!

The mystery (of christian contentment) consists not in bringing anything from outside to make any condition more comfortable, but in purging out something that is within. Now the men of the world have contentment, and lack anything, Oh, they must have something from the outside to content them. But a godly man says: 'Let me get something out that is in already, and then I shall come to contentment.' Suppose a man has a fever, that makes what he drinks taste bitter: he says, 'You must put some sugar into my drink'; his wife puts some in, and still the drink tastes bitter. Why? Becuase the bitterness comes from a bitter choleric humour within. But let the physician come and give him a bitter potion to purge out the bitterness that is within, and then he can taste his drink well enough. It is just the same with the men of the world: Oh such circumstances are bitter, and it I could have such and such a mercy added to this mercy, then it would be sweet; but even if God should put a spoonful of two sugar in, it would still be bitter. The way to contentment is to purge out your lusts and bitter humour. 'From whence are wars, and strifes? Are they not from yout lusts that are within you?' (James 4.1)They are not so much from the things outside, but from within. So if those lusts that are within, in your heart, were got out, your condition would be a contented condition. These are the mysterious ways of godliness, that the men of the world never think of. When do you ever think of such a way as this, to go and purge out the diseases of your heart that are within?

Pg. 55 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs