Prayer and Comments

We leave in less than 24 hours....just sayin'...


I've been overwhelmed (in a good way) by the number of people and the ways people have been praying for us this week.  From Erin bringing me up in front of our women's Bible study to pray for me (had I known, I would have showered, worn matching clothes, and lost the high-water pants, but in her defense, she did call ahead to see if that was ok, but I never listened to the message), to Fitz updating her FB status asking her 426 friends to pray for us, to Amy calling me every morning, leaving prayers on my voicemail.  Gosh, who wouldn't feel loved?

Here are our prayer requests:

- for Autumn to transition to our family well - which involves good bonding with us and grieving the loss of everything she's ever known

- good health for our family while traveling

- the boys miraculously get along well with each other and us in a small hotel room for 17 days

- our plane doesn't descend into the ocean in a fiery ball of metal (my personal prayer)

- Steve's enthusiasm for the trip will be greater than his stress (his personal prayer)

- all of us will deal well with being alone in a foreign country with a different language and different customs, with a new child in our family

- ultimately, that when any of our specific requests aren't answered in the way we think is best, that we will lean on God and trust his love for us.  I really think this is the most important one.

God knows I've struggled with understanding how prayer works.  What difference is my prayer request going to make when God is so big and all-knowing and all-loving?  Why pray when I can trust Him to know and do what's best?

God's been showing me this week that it's not so much about answering my specific prayer request, but that I'm drawn closer to him, and aware that he is there with me through the challenge holding me up.  When I request that the transition with Autumn be smooth, yes, he may make the transition smooth, but I think sometimes he takes all those prayers from all his praying people and when the transition isn't smooth, he shows me in some way that He's there with me.  He whispers in my ear, "I'm here.  It's tough.  Lean on me."  And if I listen, I lean, and my burden becomes a little lighter.  I've been listening a little more this week.  I've been paying attention to him.  I know I'm in a battle and I can't do it without him.  And maybe that's what happens when people pray.  They shoot up a prayer that our transition with Autumn will be smooth, but He turns it into something even more beautiful and more tuned into what we really need - not ease in this life, but dependence on Him.


Comments:  We LOVE to read people's comments while we're in China, so please leave a comment if you have a moment.  They are SO encouraging.  We always feel like we're not alone on this journey.

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