This morning started out like most others. I woke up, took a peek at emails that came in on my phone, scrolled through messages. One was from my friend Miroslava in Ukraine. She works at Sunshine Center, and she's one of the staff members who stays in contact with me about the Christmas gifts being sent to the orphans.
She told me of a little girl, ten years old, who just moved into the center. Miroslava asked if we could find people to send gifts to her for Christmas.
Sometimes I think I'm finished with something when God isn't done yet.
We spent several weeks set up in the church lobby, photos and handouts and greeting people who want to bless kids with gifts and reach into the hurting places of fatherlessness with the love of Jesus as a gift to the King whose life is a gift of eternity to us.
I checked off names and gifts being sent and gifts having arrived, and I really felt my "work" was mostly done. Looking ahead with anticipation to the sweet photos we get each year, I tucked my clipboard of Sunshine Christmas notes aside my computer and felt accomplished.
But God wasn't done.
A new boy came to Sunshine a few weeks ago, and we scurried to share his handsome face and his favorite colors and what size warm clothes he could use, and some loving friends stepped up to once again give.
And today, I read Miroslava's email, and despite all the time I've spent watching God love the orphan and make impossible things possible for His glory, my first response was, "Oh dear, how will we find people again? I don't really know how we'll find gifts for this little girl. Everyone has done so much, and the gifts should be sent so soon, and everyone is so busy..."
I made God too small.
I have watched God provide thousands of dollars for a trip my husband and I made to Ukraine, to spend time having fellowship with the orphan we call "son" in our hearts. I've watched God provide tens of thousands for friends to adopt. I've watched God bring a family of kids from Sunshine to live only 3 houses away from me as refugees, and they and their mom and other siblings have become family to us.
And I still, after all this, am guilty of waking up in the morning and making God too small.
But our God is not small.
He is mighty.
He is good.
And so big.
I posted Alina's photo and the message from my friend on Facebook, and I went to church.
After church, I had messages waiting from 3 friends who want to send gifts right out to Alina.
When I make a box for God to fit into,
His grace and faithfulness always press against the edges
until all the limitations I place on Him
have been torn
down.
