Earlier this month I found myself at a P.F. Chang’s in Indianapolis, enjoying a quiet meal to myself. At the end of the meal, my fortune cookie came, which I promptly opened in the hope that it would reveal some glorious morsel of insight that would make the mysteries of life disappear. Call me an optimist.
Instead, what I received was a challenge that can be taken one of many ways. Nestled inside the crisp cookie was the following:
Getting together with old friends brings new adventures.
For some, that will take their thoughts right away to friends from school, college, previous jobs. Those connections are to be treasured, for keeping in contact with one’s past reminds you of the threads that weave your life’s story. They may lead you to new adventures either in relationships or business.
My thoughts immediately went to my spiritual journey as well as to the adoption journey of my wife and I. Like many people who are in the process of adoption, it becomes real easy to put your trust in your ability to fill out forms, sign paperwork, and write checks. It all becomes a giant checklist that leads us one step closer to our goal. We lose sight of the glory of grace and God’s plan for our lives.
Sometimes we treat our spiritual lives in a similar way. Our time spent at church on Sunday is simply another checkmark on an imaginary list that we think is leading us to our destination. Teach Sunday school? Check. Serve on consistory? Check. Again, we lose sight of our heavenly Father.
The 8 words on that piece of paper inside that fortune cookie reminded me that I had an old friend that I needed to talk to. He has been there from the beginning, gently opening doors and closing others, leading me along this plan for my life. It was not my doing that I have two beautiful children: it was His.
If you are in the adoption process (or, for that matter, in life in general) and feel that you are uncertain where to go next, I would like to encourage you to get on your knees and spend some time with your most trusted friend. If you are uncertain of timing for the process, talk to Him. If you want to scream at Him because your plans don’t match His plans, do so. It is alright. He will wrap His arms around you in love. If your kids are driving you crazy, talk to Him. If you are uncertain how this will come together, question Him. He will only ask that you trust Him. By doing so, He will take you on new adventures that you never would have envisioned days, months, weeks, or years prior.
