Putting on Our Waders

Last Monday, my co-workers and I started a 40 Day Prayer Challenge with and for each other.  We're reading a book by one of my favorite authors, Mark Batterson, called "Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge."  With each day's readings there have been little nuggets of information I highlight in the book, and think "I need to remember that." Todays reading was the exception - I highlighted it all.  And, as always with God and me, it seems like I read today's readings at just the right time.

Mike and I went to lunch with some friends of ours today, and towards the end of the lunch, I shared where we were in the process of adopting from Uganda - that we're still researching which agency we are going to use, and that we don't want to rush into this.  I feel like I've been saying "we don't want to rush into this" for awhile now.  There obviously has been NO rushing, but there's also been NO movement on our part, except for the email inquiries I've sent out to a handful of agencies.  After we returned from lunch, I read today's reading in the prayer challenge, "Day 7: Put on Waders" and as some of my co-workers like to joke around and say, "BOOM!" 

Here are some of the sections I highlighted:

"God is honored when we act as if He is going to answer our prayers! And acting as if means acting on our prayers.... Don't just pray about your dream; act on it.  Act as if God is going to deliver on His promise." 

"If we want to see God move, we need to make a move.  If it seems like God isn't moving in our lives, maybe it's because we aren't moving.  But if we make a move, God will move heaven and earth to honor our faith."

"We're so close to the dream, so close to the promise, so close to the miracle.  But we're waiting for God to part the river, while God is waiting for us to get our feet wet."

I read these few lines and immediately was taken back to our lunch conversation.  We've been praying about the adoption, and God has made it very clear that it's what He wants us to do.  He made the first move by warming our hearts to the entire idea of adopting from Uganda, but now Mike and I need to make a move - we need to put on our waders, get our feet wet, and actually start the process.

The best way to summarize my feelings this very moment, Mark Batterson said it the best "...that first step is always the hardest and longest.  It will require the most faith.  It will feel the most awkward.  But if we step out in faith, signs will follow." 

Please be praying as we take our first big step.