Do the Next Thing
I have a lot of "next things" these days.
I could relive my pity party from this week with a minute-by-minute detailing of ALL THE THINGS. But that wouldn't do anybody any good. Suffice it to say that I set a very early alarm every day - which pained my summer-break heart - and from the moment I got up until I was in bed and blurry eyed, there was not a moment of rest. It felt like each time I sat down to do one thing, I added five next-things to my list.
I came home Thursday night from working my non-teaching job and wanted to cry. But I was too inadequate to even muster the tears. In our former, non-fundraising, paperwork-free life, Chad would have tried to 'fix' me by cuddling with me and putting on a cheesy movie. But there was no time for movie-watching. We had work to do, forms to fill out, letters to write, and budget spreadsheets to update. So, instead, he followed me to the porch (I had to water the flowers) with a glass of wine. He held it for me until my chore was finished. After I took it, he followed me to our bed. We piled our life's worth of current obligations on the comforter and talked about how stressed out and tired we were.
And THAT - not the wine nor the ticking of boxes nor the putting on of pajamas - THAT fixed it. Or at least made it better. We commiserated over our exhaustion. We joked about our pending stress-induced obesity. He lifted burden after burden of worry from my shoulders by listening, affirming, thanking, laughing - by being there with me in that space. He had plenty to do - extra work from his job, budget-balancing, email writing, schedule planning. But he met me in my despair, comforted me, and gave me rest and hope.
What an example of Christ he was to me. What a picture - as marriage is meant to be - of bride, the church, and groom, Son of God himself.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
I was on my way down a self-pity mope spiral. He pulled me out. How thankful I am for this partner as we enter into our Gotcha Day countdown. And how awed I am that Christ would go beyond What Chad could do - conversation and coddling - all the way to the cross!
Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Did I wake up the next morning stress-free, reveling in relaxation? No. The to-do list was just as long, if not longer since we had to be away from home for most of the weekend and rely on other people to care for our kids. Shout out to my amazing mother for driving all the way from Knoxville, Tennessee to spend the day taking care of our kids.
Do we open our eyes after praying for salvation and spend the rest of our lives sitting back and waiting for Christ's return? No.
1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
In our small group we are reading through Philippians having just read 1 Peter. The Christian life is work. It is 24/7. You don't get a night off from being a Christian. And, thankfully, Jesus never takes time off either. He never ceases to intercede for us or love us.
Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
So, the next morning, bright and early, another alarm and another day of doing.
Which, because of God's immense goodness, brought another day of blessing. Chad and I attended the Crossings Conference at Lifeline's main office. We met so many other adopting couples, some adopting from the same orphanage as us! I didn't even realize I was missing this tribe, a new tribe, a new community. Oh, the encouragement we felt just from talking to other people about their journey and ours, their kids and ours whom none of us have even met yet. The communion of the Spirit knit us all together, and it was good.
Now that I've preached and complained, let's praise God for some blessings, shall we?
Thanks to many of you reading this, our Facebook auction was a huge success! We raised half of our next agency fee, which is far beyond what I expected and hoped. The auction was a lot of work (not just for me) and entailed a LOT of stress that I kept to myself like a good, I-can-handle-it-all overcommitter until kind friends stepped in and carried burdens alongside me. I will never be able to thank you enough.
At one point, I was telling Chad about yet another donated auction service, and he asked, "How are we going to keep track of everyone who has helped us so we can thank them?"
I just laughed and answered, "We aren't. We can't."
But in the end, God chose to bless that endeavor. To Him be all glory and thanks.
As soon as the auction closed and I sent 50+ emails about payment and shipping, I started making lists for the next fundraising event. That was when the title of this blog and the poem below started rattling around in my brain. I just wanted to stop and not think about fundraising, school starting, house cleaning, paperwork, etc. But stopping won't get our children home. "Do the next thing," I said aloud to myself.
Speaking of next things, I'd love to take a moment to share some of our nexts. We feel your prayers as we receive blessings and encouragement throughout this journey. We are thankful for our community. We do not take you for granted. Thank you.
Our next fundraiser will be a market event at our house on Sunday afternoon, September 23rd. Several vendors will set up to sell their wares and donate a portion of their profits to our adoption. Please pray with us that God will bless our next event not only for our adoption needs, but for those who are giving their time and talents to participate. -- If you are in the greater Birmingham area and would like to attend this market, please let me know so I can send you an invitation with details. You can email me at cheecha@gmail.com. There will be a lot of goodies that will make excellent Christmas gifts or personal treasures for the fall season. Many of the vendors make the items by hand, so your purchases also support local creators. --
I will be asking for a few volunteers from our support base to organize or host a couple of specific fundraisers for us. These are through non-profits that work with our adoption agency. The reason I will ask for volunteers to coordinate them is so that we can reach beyond our personal circles and tap into a broader community of people who want to help. We spoke with a grant agency rep at our conference, and he encouraged us to involve as many people in as many ways as we can. I had asked if they would match money from us, meaning we send them a check for $1,000 and they write a check to Lifeline for $2,000. He said they could do that, but we would be robbing people of the chance to help and be part of our story. So we have two fundraisers in mind that will meet many needs. One gives a percentage of sales to our adoption, but takes little effort on the host's part because it is all online. The other involves a service day and some coordinating and pledges, so it's more work. However, it brings in a LOT more money for our adoption. If you think you would be willing to take on either of these for us, PLEASE let me know. I am linking to both at the bottom of this post. I also plan to make a FB live video asking for volunteers and explaining these fundraisers in more depth. The best thing about them is that in addition to providing funds for our adoption, they provide livelihood and relief for marginalized people all over the world. Please pray that God would send people who want to help and that He would bless these efforts.
School starts the week after next, which is another reason I will need to lean harder on our support base. Please pray for this transition and this year. I will miss 6 to 8 weeks (unpaid) to travel and acclimate our new family to life as a family of six. And I have barely begun planning for the year. My summer has been somewhat consumed.
And, as always, please pray for our family: for Chad and I as we prepare to parent ALL of our kids with Christ-like love; for Eirinn and Brent as they prepare to share their lives with strangers; for Lolo and Lala as they prepare to leave their whole world behind to come home.
Finally, I want to leave you with a quote from David Platt. Chad and I are sometimes told how brave or amazing we are for adopting, especially to adopt internationally . . . siblings . . . who have special needs.
WE. DO. NOT. FEEL. BRAVE.
WE. ARE. NOT. AMAZING.
Those compliments are kind words, and I know they come from a place of love. But any good in us is Christ. And we feel woefully inadequate in this journey. Thankfully, our God is mighty. And good. We think YOU are amazing and brave to give so sacrificially for our little family. Here is our latest mantra:
“It is important to realize we adopt not because we are rescuers. No. We adopt because we are rescued.” — David Platt
Details about Both Hands fundraiser (more work, but also more funds): https://bothhands.org
Details about WorldCrafts fundraiser (online) : https://www.worldcrafts.org
I could relive my pity party from this week with a minute-by-minute detailing of ALL THE THINGS. But that wouldn't do anybody any good. Suffice it to say that I set a very early alarm every day - which pained my summer-break heart - and from the moment I got up until I was in bed and blurry eyed, there was not a moment of rest. It felt like each time I sat down to do one thing, I added five next-things to my list.
I came home Thursday night from working my non-teaching job and wanted to cry. But I was too inadequate to even muster the tears. In our former, non-fundraising, paperwork-free life, Chad would have tried to 'fix' me by cuddling with me and putting on a cheesy movie. But there was no time for movie-watching. We had work to do, forms to fill out, letters to write, and budget spreadsheets to update. So, instead, he followed me to the porch (I had to water the flowers) with a glass of wine. He held it for me until my chore was finished. After I took it, he followed me to our bed. We piled our life's worth of current obligations on the comforter and talked about how stressed out and tired we were.
And THAT - not the wine nor the ticking of boxes nor the putting on of pajamas - THAT fixed it. Or at least made it better. We commiserated over our exhaustion. We joked about our pending stress-induced obesity. He lifted burden after burden of worry from my shoulders by listening, affirming, thanking, laughing - by being there with me in that space. He had plenty to do - extra work from his job, budget-balancing, email writing, schedule planning. But he met me in my despair, comforted me, and gave me rest and hope.
What an example of Christ he was to me. What a picture - as marriage is meant to be - of bride, the church, and groom, Son of God himself.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
I was on my way down a self-pity mope spiral. He pulled me out. How thankful I am for this partner as we enter into our Gotcha Day countdown. And how awed I am that Christ would go beyond What Chad could do - conversation and coddling - all the way to the cross!
Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Did I wake up the next morning stress-free, reveling in relaxation? No. The to-do list was just as long, if not longer since we had to be away from home for most of the weekend and rely on other people to care for our kids. Shout out to my amazing mother for driving all the way from Knoxville, Tennessee to spend the day taking care of our kids.
Do we open our eyes after praying for salvation and spend the rest of our lives sitting back and waiting for Christ's return? No.
1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
In our small group we are reading through Philippians having just read 1 Peter. The Christian life is work. It is 24/7. You don't get a night off from being a Christian. And, thankfully, Jesus never takes time off either. He never ceases to intercede for us or love us.
Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
So, the next morning, bright and early, another alarm and another day of doing.
Which, because of God's immense goodness, brought another day of blessing. Chad and I attended the Crossings Conference at Lifeline's main office. We met so many other adopting couples, some adopting from the same orphanage as us! I didn't even realize I was missing this tribe, a new tribe, a new community. Oh, the encouragement we felt just from talking to other people about their journey and ours, their kids and ours whom none of us have even met yet. The communion of the Spirit knit us all together, and it was good.
Now that I've preached and complained, let's praise God for some blessings, shall we?
Thanks to many of you reading this, our Facebook auction was a huge success! We raised half of our next agency fee, which is far beyond what I expected and hoped. The auction was a lot of work (not just for me) and entailed a LOT of stress that I kept to myself like a good, I-can-handle-it-all overcommitter until kind friends stepped in and carried burdens alongside me. I will never be able to thank you enough.
At one point, I was telling Chad about yet another donated auction service, and he asked, "How are we going to keep track of everyone who has helped us so we can thank them?"
I just laughed and answered, "We aren't. We can't."
But in the end, God chose to bless that endeavor. To Him be all glory and thanks.
As soon as the auction closed and I sent 50+ emails about payment and shipping, I started making lists for the next fundraising event. That was when the title of this blog and the poem below started rattling around in my brain. I just wanted to stop and not think about fundraising, school starting, house cleaning, paperwork, etc. But stopping won't get our children home. "Do the next thing," I said aloud to myself.
Taken from the Gospel Coalition Blog: Years ago, Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) popularized an old poem—the commonsense simplicity and clarity of which have encouraged many anxious and weary saints.
So I texted my friend Megan (a.k.a. my adoption coordinator :) ) and told her about the event, which was originally suggested by my other friend and market buddy Pam. We brainstormed. I recruited vendors. And we're off and running.From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thingDo it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing.Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.
Speaking of next things, I'd love to take a moment to share some of our nexts. We feel your prayers as we receive blessings and encouragement throughout this journey. We are thankful for our community. We do not take you for granted. Thank you.
Our next fundraiser will be a market event at our house on Sunday afternoon, September 23rd. Several vendors will set up to sell their wares and donate a portion of their profits to our adoption. Please pray with us that God will bless our next event not only for our adoption needs, but for those who are giving their time and talents to participate. -- If you are in the greater Birmingham area and would like to attend this market, please let me know so I can send you an invitation with details. You can email me at cheecha@gmail.com. There will be a lot of goodies that will make excellent Christmas gifts or personal treasures for the fall season. Many of the vendors make the items by hand, so your purchases also support local creators. --
I will be asking for a few volunteers from our support base to organize or host a couple of specific fundraisers for us. These are through non-profits that work with our adoption agency. The reason I will ask for volunteers to coordinate them is so that we can reach beyond our personal circles and tap into a broader community of people who want to help. We spoke with a grant agency rep at our conference, and he encouraged us to involve as many people in as many ways as we can. I had asked if they would match money from us, meaning we send them a check for $1,000 and they write a check to Lifeline for $2,000. He said they could do that, but we would be robbing people of the chance to help and be part of our story. So we have two fundraisers in mind that will meet many needs. One gives a percentage of sales to our adoption, but takes little effort on the host's part because it is all online. The other involves a service day and some coordinating and pledges, so it's more work. However, it brings in a LOT more money for our adoption. If you think you would be willing to take on either of these for us, PLEASE let me know. I am linking to both at the bottom of this post. I also plan to make a FB live video asking for volunteers and explaining these fundraisers in more depth. The best thing about them is that in addition to providing funds for our adoption, they provide livelihood and relief for marginalized people all over the world. Please pray that God would send people who want to help and that He would bless these efforts.
School starts the week after next, which is another reason I will need to lean harder on our support base. Please pray for this transition and this year. I will miss 6 to 8 weeks (unpaid) to travel and acclimate our new family to life as a family of six. And I have barely begun planning for the year. My summer has been somewhat consumed.
And, as always, please pray for our family: for Chad and I as we prepare to parent ALL of our kids with Christ-like love; for Eirinn and Brent as they prepare to share their lives with strangers; for Lolo and Lala as they prepare to leave their whole world behind to come home.
Finally, I want to leave you with a quote from David Platt. Chad and I are sometimes told how brave or amazing we are for adopting, especially to adopt internationally . . . siblings . . . who have special needs.
WE. DO. NOT. FEEL. BRAVE.
WE. ARE. NOT. AMAZING.
Those compliments are kind words, and I know they come from a place of love. But any good in us is Christ. And we feel woefully inadequate in this journey. Thankfully, our God is mighty. And good. We think YOU are amazing and brave to give so sacrificially for our little family. Here is our latest mantra:
“It is important to realize we adopt not because we are rescuers. No. We adopt because we are rescued.” — David Platt
Details about Both Hands fundraiser (more work, but also more funds): https://bothhands.org
Details about WorldCrafts fundraiser (online) : https://www.worldcrafts.org
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