It hit me this morning while listening to our local Christian Radio Station, WBFJ. It was like God stopped me in my tracks and said , "Look at what I've done Lisa."The day before Thanksgiving, 5 years ago - I mailed the non-profit application to the IRS for Caroline's Promise. As usual, I was finishing it at the last moment. You see, I was on a deadline. The goal was to get that thing mailed before we boarded a plane the day after Thanksgiving. Where were we going? Guatemala! Why? To meet our daughter Caroline for the first time!
It was the start of a dream that God had given to David and me. Dreams are funny. Sometimes you wonder if they're your crazy ideas and often times you have to let them go - give them to God and see if He gives it back to you.
That's what happened the year before. It was November 2002 and we were ending a week of mission work in Guatemala. That last morning there God asked me to give up my dream of doing full time mission work in Guatemala. I released it. It was hard. Within an hour we were on a boat, crossing beautiful Lake Atitlan and I was confused and sad. Why had God given me a passion and burden for the fatherless children in Guatemala if He wasn't going to let me live there and help them?
Out of the blue a dear friend brought me her cd player and headphones and said, "Lisa - you have to hear this song!" She had no idea the inner struggle I was having. The song was by Yolanda Adams and it spoke right to my heart:
Never Give Up!
Visions that can change the world, trapped inside an ordinary girl
She looks just like me, too afraid to dream out loud
Visions that can change the world, trapped inside an ordinary girl
She looks just like me, too afraid to dream out loud
And though it's set for your idea it won't make sense to everybody
You need courage now If you're going to persevere
To fulfill your life's purpose you gotta answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world Against all odds
Keep the dream alive, don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you. Don't give up...
Every victory comes in time. Work today to change tomorrow
It gets easier, who's to say that you can't fly
Every step you take, you get closer to your destination
You can feel it now. Don't you know you're alomost there
Chorus
Chorus
Sometimes life can place a stubborn block in your way
But you've gotta keep the faith. Reap what's deep inside your heart to fly
And never give up, don't ever give up on you Don't give up
Who holds the pieces to complete the puzzle? The answer that can solve the mystery, yeah.. The keys that can unlock your understanding It's all inside of you You have everything you need....so...
It was like God was sitting right beside me on that boat. Giving me HIS dream for my life. But what was it? All I knew was that I had given Him my dream of serving the children of Guatemala and He was going to replace it with His dream for my life.
In the next few months He made it clearer. David started asking "I wonder how many Christians would adopt if they just had some financial support? Why don't we do one fundraiser a year and give it to a couple that's adopting?" Of course God's dream was much bigger than that. His dream for us was Caroline's Promise. He wanted to give me a passion for all orphans. Not just those living in Guatemala.
Sometimes I wonder where we'd be if I hadn't given God my dream and let him replace it with His? It didn't make sense.....to us. But 5 years later - it's so obvious what God was up to.
In my busyness and drive to make a difference in the lives of orphans I can forget to stop and thank God for all He has done. Wow! We never would have dreamed that He would bless Caroline's Promise like He has.
Do you have a dream? Are you willing to ask God if it's yours or His? Even though it doesn't make sense to anyone else, if God has given it to you......don't give up!