Up His alley- Papa's view

WARNING!
BLOG CONTAINS ADULT SPIRITUAL CONTENT. SPIRITUAL NUDITY AND LANGUAGE INVOLVED. PARENTAL CONSENT STRONGLY ADVISED...
Saturday, 29th of dec. 2007. We pick up the kids today @ 12:00 and keep them till 6:30. We walk the whole day. We start by leaving the orphanage the "back way". They're full of giddiness and are as friskie as kids can be w/excitement. This is the kickoff of the holiday's, and they're sharing this one w/their parents.
As they bundle up and head out the double steel doors of this place, Marina clings to mom and Yana reaches for my hand. My memory suddenly recalls- "If you only knew girls, that just a short while ago Fran and I had no idea you existed, and we were in the process of exercising a 12 year "exit" stategy".
They guide us out of the orphanage grounds and we pass between 2 small steel building containers. So narrow is the gap that I turn sideways to avoid rubbing against the rust. I'm reminded about my summer, and how dirty those jobs were. I also remember how determined I was to earn this trip/expense on my own so as not to interupt our financial plans. How odd were all the events causing failure- the breakdowns, back-ups and loss.
No sooner do we clear the steel buildings when Yana reaches for me again. Our pace picks up w/excitement only a teenage girl can explain as we pass a small apple tree grove in it's winter dormancy. We're on our way to town, the way orphans know.
It was the end of august when I faced the unthinkable- I can not do this in my own strength. This isn't going to work, not going to happen. I'm WAY too far behind, and though I've had my "spiritual ear " to the ground the whole time, based upon current events I can't see this working.
All 4 of us are now hand in hand skirting the bluff of burdyansk. Fran asks where the light house is, because from our vantage point of the town below we should be able to see it. "The hurricane took it", she replys. Then she goes on to describe how the kids stood in front of their windows holding them out so they wouldn't blow in. (A few did)
At one jobsite I am near filled w/despair- I'm cornered, can't see a dignified way of orchestrating this thru- how are we going to do what has to be done- a mountain of preparation and and effort is still needed and I'm exhausted...
It's then I am struck w/a declaration - "This is not Rick's story, it's HIS story! He's the one who put these two specific kids on our hearts, and He's the one who will provide the means to do it-" All year long I've been trying to do this on my own strength, but this is HIS story and he get's all the credit, not me. "Relax Rick, and put on my yoke- you'll find my burden light."
This is all I needed. I lift my "spiritual ear" from the ground and stand. "He's here," my soul testify's, and He's been here the whole time.
We turn now down a steep rutted out foot path that's froze solid. Slippin' and sliding w/squeals of adolescent delight the 4 of us cascade down it's length to the base. These kids amaze me, they truly enjoy us being w/them. I look hard @ Marina, who can't stand still. "By law your a orphan." "But by love you're our daughter."
Yanna reaches out for me, we're about to cross the main arterial that feeds traffic to downtown. A traffic cop is positioned there as we pass within a few feet of him. He eyes us and seems to be curious why 2 brightly colored adults would be hangin' out w/2 orphans scurrying through traffic. Only locals and orphans cross the street here. But before he can complete the thought process of demanding us to halt and show him our passports and perhaps $$$, the girls are true to orphan reputation and have slipped thru traffic w/us and are fast dissappearing into the grayness of concrete and overcast winter cloudiness. We'll take a taxi back.
It's november and we're leaving in 4 weeks to Ukraine. I've got 6 weeks of contracts to fill. Plus we haven't finished remodeling our house to accomodate these 2. "This is not my story, but HIStory." There is peace, and I thank Him for it. The anxiety is gone. There are bumps, glitches and blips along this adoption road, but in the end I find myself standing and operational. "Thank you LORD for the peace."
We stop @ a cafeteria, a store, then it's off to our room. During the whole time they never let us go. We are a family of four. And I can't imagine coming this far to start thinking less.
Jesus's own family @ one point called him "nuts". So adopting 2 teenage girls that are 5,000 miles away, don't know our language, and cost us everything would be something, "right up HIS alley." And those circumstances preventing Marina from us taking her home has also caused our OWN allies to"shrug" their shoulders and accept the enemies lies.
We know who sits on the throne. We recognize his voice. He knows ours. And all who are reading this blog- Jesus knows your voice.
When Fran and I cry out to HIM who knows us, He responds. How fitting it is that this spiritual struggle for a tangable result would come @ Christmas, a time when heaven bankrupted itself and gave all it had to us in the form of a baby. Jesus's birth is celebrated here in Ukraine jan. 7th.
Could it be, is it possible, that somehow, somewhere, someone becomes the conduit for another miracle from above and our Christmas gift from Ukraine will be in the form of Marina? That also would be right up HIS alley.
Time has a wonderful way of wrapping things up, and soon we'll be leaving Ukraine. Here's what I "see":
On one side I see an assembly of faithful believers- a people who are righteous and blameless in HIS sight. They are covered in the blood, praying to the FATHER through JESUS the Christ. They are praying on our behalf for Marina's rescue from bureaucratic red tape. They are praying w/power. They are praying in the HOLY SPIRIT.
I see people in place to recieve this miracle. Fran and I are still here. Our facilitators are here. Ukrainian offoicals know us and our case. Paper work is in motion. We are waiting. We're in the right place @ the right time for the right reason.
As I look @ the other side, where are THEIR faithful believers? What do they even believe in, the "old" way? Exactly what is their motive for keeping Marina deadlocked, and who will join them for help in keeping her from us?
Yes there are discouraging moments, and yes it get's tiring. But after tallying it all up, I still believe in the ONE who IS. This is something, "right up his alley."

Happy New Year!
Rick