I\’m excited to start a new series with lessons found in the book of Joshua. The Lord has been walking with me through the early books of the Old Testament for the last year and I\’m finally at a place that I can share all the insights God\’s been showing me. Join us weekly for some real, raw, open and honest this-is-where-I\’m-at-right-now GodStuff. I pray it blesses you as it has me. ~Bethany

Recently my husband and I took in two new foster children. The Lord led us to fostering, quite unexpectedly, last year and for many months we\’ve had just an infant with us. Last month though He asked us to take in two more, one with special needs. We prayed over them, we talked at length about the pros and cons, we took as much time as we could to decide. Because in this case, taking in these two would give us a total of six children, three of which have special needs, all of which are under 7. Yikes. I\’m sure you can appreciate our trepidation at such a prospect.

Yet, God made it abundantly clear to us that we needed to take in these young boys. So we agreed with great expectations and not a few hesitations.

We\’re a month into our new season with these kiddos and let me just say in all honesty and that its been hard. I mean capitol H A R D hard. I\’ve found myself stretched to the max daily, hourly, minute by minute at times. Going to bed so many nights questioning if we\’ve done the right thing. Waking up exhausted every morning not knowing how I\’m going to make it through the day. I\’ve found myself questioning if we made the right call, questioning our sanity, questioning my ability to continue on. I\’ve grieved the loss of time with my own kids and time with my husband. I\’ve missed meetings, missed church, and had to pull out of other ministries that I adored. Yes, it\’s been a radical life change to say the least.

I don\’t like it.

I don\’t enjoy it.

I don\’t even \’want\’ it at times.

And yet, even in the midst of the chaos I know that I\’m sitting (or more realistically, splayed out) right where I\’m supposed to be. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I\’m being obedient.

In all honesty, I\’m not that foster mom that\’s dreamed of doing this all her life. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all bad and there are definitely glimpses of awesomesness here and there. I for sure don’t hate this season. But I\’m not that foster parent that has the proverbial huge heart for these kids. I foster because it\’s a ministry that God called us into and one that is worthy to be doing. I do it because it\’s Biblical and the right thing to do. I do it because I can\’t say no to my almighty Father- even when I want to- even when the ministry is not only not \’right down my alley\’ but quite frankly at times is not even in the same city!

This obedience-thing is not for the faint of heart! And it’s H A R D work.

Yet, my Father is good, even moreso in my vast weaknesses. He has me in Joshua right now and the encouragement I\’ve found even within the first chapter has brought me more than once to tears. (It\’s like He knew!)

\”Do not let this book of the Law depart from your mouths. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it, then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.\”
Joshua 1:8-9 NIV

So where I am at with all this you may ask?

What I\’m learning is that when God told Joshua over and over to be strong and courageous, He wasn\’t at all referring to taking the Promised Land. Jehovah was telling him to be strong and courageous in his obedience to Him. He was instructing Israel to be resolute, obstinate even, in their obedience.

Regardless of the outcome. Regardless of the scenery on the other side of that leap of faith.

Regardless of whether it makes my own life more pleasant or easy.

I\’m learning slowly but surely that oftentimes \’ministry\’ that God calls us to doesn\’t necessarily come with the assumed great expectations of obedience that we all want. We assume that our obedience to Him will result in happier times, contentment, provision, or greener pastures.

Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn\’t. Our saying yes to God and these boys certainly hasn\’t made our highways and byways clearer. In fact it\’s significantly impacted all of them. And yet, I\’d venture to say that it\’s made their little pathways more manageable.

I\’m learning is that my obedience is the only thing I can control. The rest is up to God: the provision for each day, the strength to continue on, the sanity to push forward, and even the wherewithal to choose to obey again…

and again… and again.

What I\’m learning is that despite the seemingly extreme \’inconvenience\’ of this ministry God has placed on us, the idea of being outside His will and His way is far more terrifying. This season may not be one we would have chosen, it has not been ideal by any stretch, we can only hope and pray that it gets easier… but my expectations of my \’yes\’ are secondary to the work God has for me.

And suddenly the tables are turned. What great expectations I had placed on Him, are now turned and seen through His eyes upon me. His expectations for me must be quite grand to entrust some of His precious children to us for a time.

It turns out, I\’ve learned I had this entire thing backward the whole time.

Dear ones, view whatever ministries God has called you to- easy, hard, good, bad, or ugly- as opportunities to step up in obedience and meet our Father\’s great expectations of you. It is no small thing to place you where He did with the treasured people and work He\’s entrusted you with.

You have your Father\’s great expectations upon you this day- be strong and courageous, be not discouraged!