He is so nervous

The words jumped off of Doug's phone:

"He is so nervous."

They were only a portion of a text message Doug had just received from our friend Jake Sullivan, who is right now, on a plane, traveling from Ghana to Iowa with Samuel.

Samuel is the 17 year old boy who is taking a leap of faith. He has been given the opportunity to come to the United States to get an American education and an American basketball scholarship. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for him. His mother and sister kissed him goodbye and sent him on his way, knowing it may be years before they see him again. Years before they hug him. Years before they see his eyes in person.

Can you imagine the faith my sisters?

Can you even imagine the faith?

This boy has never met us. Sure, he has seen facebook pictures and emailed short sentences back and forth, but he has never met us! He has never been to the United States. He said goodbye to everything he has known for the past 17 years.

Faith!

But nervousness.

"He is so nervous."

God never said the walk would be easy. He never said everything would be handed to us. He never said we wouldn't be nervous, or scared, or confused!

But you know what...those four words today...they opened something in my heart that I had been nervous about. We are also jumping out in faith. We too have not met Samuel. We too are changing our lives. We too have nervousness about the future. But today...today...those words brought me peace.

You see, those words, when I read them, they made my heart ache for Samuel.

"He is so nervous."

They made me clench my stomach and say, "Oh no. I just feel for him!" 

And in that moment, I knew God was with us.

Because in that moment I knew I would love him just like my own biological children. I knew that I would treat him no differently. I knew that I would celebrate his joys and I would hurt with his hurts!  And that my dear sisters, brought me peace today.

And then I got to thinkin....isn't that EXACTLY what God has done for each of us who has believed in Jesus as our Savior?  He has adopted us into His family. He has given us HIS name.

Name above all Names....and he gave it to us! 

We are called His children! And He will celebrate with our joys and He will hurt with our hurts.  And HE loves us, like a father loves his son....He loves us....like I love Kobe, Luke, Faith, Lucy and Samuel!

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, tha you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9