WAITING ON PINS & NEEDLES

As of this morning, the Consulate has not changed their mind on Brad's visa.  Brad's visa application was incorrectly categorized to one that will take much longer to process.  This would require us to change our travel dates, including having to change flights that we've already purchased and to change important appointments already set up in country.

We're waiting on pins and needles.

I've been praying, waffling between the idea that this pushback could, on one hand, be God's way of protecting us from something we don't know about or, on the other hand, be spiritual warfare.

During my time reading with the Lord this morning, however, I was taken to Mark, chapter 2, where Jesus heals the paralyzed man (vs. 1-12).

A man who is paralyzed is taken by his friends to the house where they know Jesus is, only to find that the building is so crowded they cannot get in.

Unwilling to let that stop them, four of the friends, decide to dig a hole through the roof of the house large enough to lower the paralyzed man down through it on his mat.

When they successfully do this, Jesus (seeing their faith, the Bible says) promptly forgives the paralyzed man of his sins...  not exactly what the friends' were expecting we presume.

At that point, Jesus had become famous for his ability to heal the lame, hence the paralyzed man's friends' tenacious spirit to get the man in front of Jesus.

We learn from vs. 6, however, that there were some skeptics in the room - the teachers of the law, aka: the most "religious" people in the land - who not only doubted Jesus' ability to do the miracles he did but also hated him for it.

When Jesus forgave the paralyzed man's sins, the teachers of the law were indignant - but not outwardly, only inwardly.

They balked at Jesus's claim to forgive sins in their hearts and minds.  And Jesus knew it.  He even called them out in vs. 8 saying, "Why are you thinking these things?" (emphasis mine)

And then vs. 10 gives us insight into Jesus' reasonings for forgiving the paralyzed man's sins before giving him the ability to walk:

"But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." (emphasis mine)

Jesus waited to heal the man physically to prove something to the teachers of the law.  He didn't need to prove anything to the friends who lowered the paralyzed man down - vs. 5 tells us that they already had faith!  But there were others in the room who didn't yet believe.  And so Jesus used that opportunity to touch more people than just the paralyzed man and his friends.

Jesus reminded me this morning that the situations we're in might not be about us, they might be about someone else.

Jesus never intended not to heal the paralyzed man.  He just didn't do it first.  If he had done it first, the teachers of the law would have missed the opportunity to learn something else about Jesus - that not only can he heal bodies, he can forgive sins - the more important miracle!

The paralyzed man was the person with the physical need, the need we can see, the need that's obvious.  The friends believed Jesus could provide what the paralyzed man needed to be healed and didn't let anything stop them from placing the paralyzed man at Jesus' feet.  But what they didn't know is that their actions would be used not to only to help the paralyzed man but also everyone else in the room.

Benjamin is the one with the obvious need, he needs a family.  And we, our agency, and you, are the friends.  Our family is willing to adopt Benjamin, our agency is providing the legal means, and you have helped carry the mat by praying, giving financially, sharing your resources, and more.  The roof has been dug through, and Benjamin has been laid at Jesus' feet, and we are so close to seeing the miracle we've been waiting to see.

But maybe Jesus knows something we don't.  Maybe there are other people in the room that need to see Jesus in a way we aren't expecting.  Maybe this whole process isn't just about Benjamin and just about us.

We believe that God started this whole process and we, 100%, believe He will finish it.  But right now, we just need to be a little bit more patient, because this situation might actually be to show someone else something along the way.  And that's worth it.

Praying, waiting, and trusting,
Brooke