Thoughts From Papa Jacques

My husband, Jacques, sends out a daily devotional email.  

I am posting his devo from today since it was about our adoption journey, 

and gives you a glimpse into my husband's sweet heart.  

I sure do LOVE this amazing man!

To all of you who think we are heroes – we are not.  Yes, we are bringing home two beautiful girls from China!  Yes, those girls both have heart issues.  Yes, both of them have had several heart surgeries already – and will need more.  Yes, one of the girls we are bringing home, unless she has a major heart surgery soon – will die.  And yes, very possibly even with the heart surgery, she might die.  But no – that doesn’t make us heroic.  People have repeatedly told us how admirable it is that we would rescue these girls.  And while we appreciate the encouragement, I want to be clear about something.  We are not rescuing them – they are rescuing us.

How so? It has become far too easy for me to settle into North American suburbia.  I can feel the pull to settle into a comfortable little life with a nice home, two cars, a couple of cute kids, and a dog.  I have slowly, over the past few years, been lulled into a life in which I don’t do anything too risky, only make decisions that make sense financially, and take on me-sized challenges that won’t threaten my ability to control my own future.  In other words, I had all but programmed faith right out of my life.   

And as for the Holy Spirit – I haven’t really needed Him lately.  I haven’t really done anything that’s required His power.  I haven’t been obsessed with following His leading. I’ve just kind of been content to coast on my own strength – until now.  Because as a family, we are doing something that doesn’t make sense financially, that is far beyond our ability to control the result, and that can only work out if God shows up.  Paul, on multiple occasions, echoed what God said through one of his prophets. “The righteous will live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).  They do.  I haven’t.  I am now.  And nothing tops that.   

Thank you girls for rescuing me!

Peace and Goodwill,

Jacques