I have some friends who are in the process of adopting their second child from Africa (they have two biological children and one child from Ethiopia). They are waiting on the court date of their daughter from Burkina Faso. They have had this court date postponed two times this month and so they invited a handful of friends and family over to their house last night to pray.

We reminded God who He is by reading Scripture and praying it back to Him. We reminded Him how much the fatherless mean to Him and His promise to place the lonely in families. We prayed and cried and pleaded for His hand to move, for mountains to be pushed back, for nothing to block the court date from happening today.

Today, here are a few things that are true:
God is sovereign. He really is.
The court date didn’t happen today. Again. Third time now. Postponed another two weeks. Hard to believe. Frustrating as all get out.
Asking matters. It really does.

It matters that we came together last night. It matters that this couple wants to welcome a girl into their family that they haven’t met yet because they feel it’s what God wants them to do and because they love the beauty of the picture that adoption paints of God’s redeeming love for us. It matters that we prayed hard and that their other children saw it. It matters that we poured our hearts out because each time we open our mouths in prayer, I believe God smiles and we reaffirm that we, in fact, do believe in His goodness. It matters because we need to remember that He gives only good gifts…that His will, even though ridiculously hard to swallow sometimes, is for the best, even if we can’t see it. It matters because every time we speak truth outloud the darkness hushes and quivers.

And it matters because right now we are hoping that you who are reading this will go to www.compassion.com and sponsor a child who lives in Burkina Faso and then you will tell a friend to do the same until all 40 children up for sponsorship as of this afternoon have someone to love and pray for them.

There is a darkness in this world but He who is in us is much greater than he who is that darkness. Let’s prove it.