Being still

Last week, in the middle of making sure there were enough egg salad sandwiches for the medical team's lunch and counting necklaces which the house moms had made to sell, I was stopped by a fellow missionary, Adam, who came to tell me about a new baby girl. He had been at the local hospital and the staff told him of a baby girl possibly only a day old who had been treated there and then taken to the local police station. She had been found in an abandoned hut. The staff asked Adam if he thought we could take her, so he dropped by to tell me about her.

Wow, my mind began racing. When a problem comes to my attention, many times my mind goes into full throttle to figure out what I can do to fix the problem. My mind indeed did this very thing when I found out about this little girl. Where could we put her? The house we have our babies in is full to capacity. Mark and I just can't take on another responsibility and have her in our home. Claudia, our fellow missionary who has a major heart for babies, already has two in her home along with 5 other children. The thoughts went on. My problem is that as I try to figure out a situation I get stressed feeling more and more responsible for coming up with a solution for the dilemma at hand. Then I get even more stressed about little issues--like egg salad sandwiches (oh dear, we need to get those down to the office for lunch!) and necklaces (wait! I lost count!). I felt myself getting stressed.

Fortunately for once, I stopped! I walked into my room and laid flat on my back on my bed and I stopped. I waited and I talked to God. I was still. And as I laid there still, I was reminded of God's love, promises and names. He loves me, He loves that little girl and He shall supply all her needs! He is the God who created her; He is the God who sees her--He saw her abandoned in the hut before anyone else saw her. He is omniscient and sovereign and knows all things about her life and is in control of her life.

Then once I was still enough to know who He is and to listen, I was reminded of the system in Uganda and how it works. She is now at the police station and they will contact probation who will then contact one of the orphanages it works with. That orphanage may be us or it could be someone else.

"Oh, Lord!" I prayed, "You know that little girl and you know what is best for her. You know that if GSF is the best place for her then you will provide and show us where to put her. "

It was like God reminded me in that moment, "I will give grace and wisdom when it is needed." Not sooner or later.

I then got up and knew that in that moment it was time to focus on egg salad sandwiches and God was so totally in control of that little girl's life, I need not worry about it.

We have not heard anymore about that little girl but I have complete peace and know that God knows exactly where she is and the number of hairs on her head.