Sweet Southern Mel: God's Masterpiece that is Our Life

So I was told a story this weekend and it touched me more than I ever thought it would have. All weekend long I kept thinking about how God will use this one simple story to move others and do his work. It was like he spoke right out me saying "Tell others this story so that they might have faith and see how I work".

At that point I knew I had to share this with you. Shouldn't be too long but definitely worth the read.

Have you ever prayed and prayed for something and it seems as though it went unanswered or God answered you with a no? Have you ever longed for a child with years of infertility? Have you ever prayed that is God would give you this one child you would raise it up in His ways, teach him/her all about how awesome God is but then time passed and you were not carrying a child?

So many friends and family that I know have went through this. These questions of why and when. Some simply "give up" while others push on and go for year upon years with no avail.

Our God is a God of many colors. He doesn't do things in Black and White. Sometimes we put on our B&W glasses and refuse to see any shade of gray or springs of color at all. It is either black or white for us, one way or the other. If we are wearing these glasses then we can't see the beautifully illustrated life that God has in store for us. The magnificent puzzle that only God knows how to put together. Sometime the pieces don't seem to fit together just right but then God comes in and works it all out and all we can do is glorify him.

Meet Noelle. Her and her husband tried for a while to have a child with no luck. Went down the road to infertility. However were still unable to have a child. During that time Noelle and her family prayed, not for one baby but for two. Prayed for Twins as she longed for two babies to love at once. After a long time of trying they decided that maybe that wasn't the route the God had in store for them and they decided to adopt.

I do not know the entire story of the adoption but I do know that as soon as the adoption was complete they found out they were pregnant. Now that have 3 beautiful children, two of which are only 8 months apart. The oldest two were a lot like twins so in most eyes you would see that as God giving you your twins.

Now before you think that we are at the end I want to insert a little information for you. I recently was put on the The Orbit Village Board as one of the heads over Zawadi. Through this whole process I have come to have a great relationship with Cyndy Waters, the founder of The Orbit Village Project. You can read more about the Orbit Village here. I also sponsor a child, David, that lives at Orbit in the Orphanage. When you contact Cyndy to sponsor a child she doesn't take it lightly. She prays that God would lead her to give you the child he wishes for you to have. She doesn't just randomly pick one but instead lets God guide her and do the picking for her. Sponsorship is not about "the money". While the money helps feed them and provide their very basic needs, sponsorship is more about bringing you and an African child closer together. Creating a bond that will last. She wants you to know you child, to love your child and maybe even one day meet your child. This is what I love about Cyndy and The Orbit Village. As a sponsor you can be as hands on as you would like to be. Right now I am planning a trip to Orbit next summer and you have no idea how excited I am to be able to hug and love on my David. To be able to read to him and love him just as my own.

Back to the story.

Almost two years ago Noelle felt God moving in her life but she wasn't sure exactly what he wanted from her. While sitting on facebook one day she came across Cyndy posting pictures of different children from Orbit who need sponsors. Noelle sent Cyndy a message asking her to see if there were two children(preferably girl and boy) that were around the same age as their children and that they could sponsor and take on as a family mission project.

Not knowing any background besides the fact that they had adopted 1 and immediately gotten pregnant with another. Cyndy prayed and then contacted Noelle and told her that she had chosen a set of twins for her family to sponsor and... are you ready for this? They were born the same year that this family prayed and prayed for twins. <yes I am crying as I type this, you are not alone>

As they prayed for twins that whole year, little did they know God was answering but that they were being born in Africa and wouldn't be a part of their life for 5 years.

What an amazing God we serve! Our life is one big beautiful puzzle that he has created and even though we don't see how all these pieces fit together he does. He made us into a beautiful masterpiece that will glorify him.

If you are going through a hard time like this think about all the possibilities out there. Maybe right now is not the time for you to conceive a child of your own but maybe there is one out there you can sponsor, love and cherish as your own.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

I hope that you were as touched by this story as I was. It really opened my eyes that when I pray for something I do not need to put my black & white glasses on to see the answer but to pray to see clearly what God has for me and longs for me to do.

Now I couldn't leave you all without a weekend review in pics!