Are you familiar with those moments when you get past the point of being overwhelmed? It’s when you are beyond the place when your schedule is too full, or when the debt is too high, or when your job is too difficult, or when your heart is in too much pain. Yeah, I was just there, and it wasn’t fun. But it was good.
This year has been a year of transition for my family: Leaving a great ministry. Praying about where we should go. Putting our house up for sale. Preparing to say goodbye to our friends and family. In the midst of all this, there has been an unknown that has put us over the top.
It is the fact that we are foster parents.
We have two little foster kids, and we have had them for quite some time. Our foster son has been with us for 17 months, and our foster daughter for 9 months.
So now we have decided we are moving, and are eager to join this new ministry, but we can’t. We don’t know what is going to happen with our foster kids. We want to take them with us, but we are waiting on the word from the courts. And so we wait.
Every other week I go to court to diligently defend our little ones. Each time I go I’m hoping that that will be the day we will know something concrete about their cases. And up to this point, each time I leave disappointed.
Last week it hit a breaking point for me. Driving away from the courthouse all the frustration, fear, anxiety and unknowns were too much for me to carry on my own. I pulled the car over to admit to God – I wasn’t strong enough.
Shortly thereafter I got a text from a friend:
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” II Corinthians 2:14
Christ ALWAYS leads us in victory.
As I read that verse, it reminded me of another section of II Corinthians:
But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10
Grace.
That’s the word.
If we believe the Scriptures to be God’s Word, then we believe them to be true. If we believe them to be true, we believe God’s grace is sufficient. If we believe God’s grace is sufficient, then we believe his grace is sufficient ALL of the time. Without exception.
If you have been in, or find yourself in a similar situation in the future, I’d encourage you – as my friend did me – that his grace is sufficient to sustain you when you are weak, when you are overwhelmed, or frustrated, or at the end of your rope, all of the time.
When we believe that, we are willing to walk into our insecurities, or face our fears, or even endure when our desire is to give up. After all, when we are weak, Christ’s power rests upon us.
Did you need to be reminded of this today?
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Thanks, Kevin. I needed to hear that today. I will continue praying for you and your family.
I hope you are well, Christi. Thank you for praying. We are praying that God would do that which only could be explained by him.
In excited anticipation…..
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
T’was Grace that taught…
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear…
the hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares…
we have already come.
T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far…
and Grace will lead us home.
The Lord has promised good to me…
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be…
as long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.
When we’ve been here ten thousand years…
bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise…
then when we’ve first begun.
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
Great old hymn. For the sake of space, I just included this first verse.
Yes, John Newton knew much about God’s grace. Part of what makes this hymn so powerful to me as I sing it.
Yes! I needed that reminder today! Christ is WITH us in these struggles and is ALWAYS leading us to the Father through the Spirit!
I apologize that in my prayers for your family, I have not specifically included plans for the two foster children, whom I know you love. I will begin right now to lift them up to the Father, asking His perfect will to be done in their lives, quickly, and that He will continue to shower His love on them… And on you and Steph as you continue to trust Him.
Thank you for always pointing us back to the Lord and His Word. I know He will continue to use you mightily in your next adventure!
~Kool Aid
(AKA Missie Gautsch)
Thank you, Missie. This process has been like a struggle we have never experienced, but well worth it.
Good to hear from you, and thanks for your prayers.
Hi Kevin. I am a new friend to the blog and your FB circle:) I first saw a post of yours shared by a former Fuller classmate on his FB wall. It was a word for me at a huge time of transition. You were being a mighty advocate for the foster kids, and just recently the Lord had taken me out of full time leadership in the church to do the same… after 2 years of trying to “get through to me”. It feels like I got dropped off in the Amazon jungle by helicopter left to navigate the unfamiliar terrain by senses sometimes, but He keeps reaffirming the path and creating the way, on step at a time. He led me to start a non-profit that puts me in contact with caseworkers, families, and kids within the DCFS on a regular basis. People who were once invisible to me are now part of my daily life, and as hard as the things I see are, I wouldn’t have it any other way. My hope is that this new breaking of my heart will lead to playing a small part in the Church taking more ownership in caring for the fatherless and advocating on behalf of the voiceless in this community. I just wanted to say you are paving the way for others to follow, making the “Amazon experience” a little more bearable because your voice helps me to hear His saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” I am going back to Louisiana (where I am from, I live in Southern California now) to God-willing launch what I had started here regarding the non-profit and to talk to leaders and families of the Church to commit to playing a larger role in caring for the fatherless and voiceless in the foster care community. The accuser of the brethren comes and tells me all kinds of things to make me question being so bold, but then somehow, I hear that voice coming from various places saying, “this is the way, walk in it”. Thank you for “following to lead”, so that we may do the same.
I will be praying for you and your family and the next season of your journey with Jesus.
Sincerely,
Kim Winston Bigler
(a fellow LSU grad)