I started to write this blog post the other day–and then I completely erased it…feeling like anyone who read it might think Momma Young is…well–different. Or worse…not understand it and be offended by it. SO–if you get offended easily–please don’t read this and just get the supplies to make the cute candy corn tree I […]
The Young Family Farm »
Category Archives: Day in the LifeDaddy-io…we made this for you…some highlights of our week in review:) YOU WERE MISSED SOOOOO MUCH! Two soccer games…we missed our coaches…and we axed school on Friday and went to the farm with the McBrayers! And a pumpkin patch too:) Secretly hoping our soccer practice tonight is cancelled to the drizzling rain so we can […] So adorable! I have never heard that song before and need to check it out – such a cute one! 🙂 ok, TOO cute!! What did you use to create the slideshow? That is too stinking adorable. 🙂 It’s been a really good day here at the Young house. Daddy rolled up in the driveway this morning around 8:30am–and little feet rushed out the door to greet him…mine included. We’ve spent the day with the children running around–and much of it in the kitchen…over coffee. So much to share–and most of it too […] Hey Andrea.  Whew…it’s been a CRAZY day–but oh my soul…I rejoice over the One who is over ALL things. ONE day–when all is quiet in my home…many years from now…this mom is going to write a book full of His miracles–cause I know as believers at our house–we see them EVERY day. Today was no exception. Where […] Praying with you Andrea…and you amaze me! Still having time to write a huge blog post after your crazy day?? Wow!  I managed to get the children all out the door to a parade this morning. Thankful no one got run over by a float while diving for candy. No seriously–my kids were not diving for candy. BUT there were some who were. I officially think kids should be encouraged how to behave even at parades. […] Praying here in Virginia!! |
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love this post. I can relate. I feel this tug & pull too. Praying & waiting for the “Go” along side you!! xo kristen
Your post (sort of) reminded me of this from Michael Youssef:
http://www.leadingtheway.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sto_UltCitizenship09
Our ultimate citizenship IS in heaven. I have to remember when dealing with fun immigration stuff, right? ;o)
But seriously … I think about this kind of stuff frequently. So your post very much resonated with me. :o)
Oh, sometimes I think you read my mind. I just stayed up way to late to post some similar thoughts on my blog–thoughts that I just had to get out of my head so that maybe I can sleep a little more peacefully. You are right. There is no balance between fitting in and giving it all up for Jesus. We need to remember that we are His followers and He DIDN’T fit in and He gave it ALL up, so at least we know we are not alone in this battle.
I feel your pain. Oh do I ever feel your pain- and I live overseas!! I am a miss*onary, which should be “good enough” right??? I mean, I made the sacrifice, I left our home and our family behind- isn’t that enough??? Yet, God CONTINUES to chip away at my selfish heart and reveal new ways I can sacrifice and serve those around me. I just finished “Kisses from Katie” and I am blown away by how amazing my house overseas is (which was a major step down from what we left in the States) and how much “stuff” my kids have (which had to be scaled down in order to fit in our suitcases to travel!) I live with the constant tension you are describing- so you are not alone, I feel ya. I am thankful for these times God gives me to wrestle through these things so I can draw closer to Him and learn new sides of His heart and character. Thanks for sharing your heart with us!
Love this, all of it, and praying for you in all areas of your life happenings.
Love this. Struggling with where I fit in to how I feel God has changed my heart when now is not the “go” time for anything yet that He’s put on my heart. But I am reading Katie Davis’ book and I loved how she said every morning she just prays, “What do you want me to do today, Lord? Who do you want me to love like You would?” And in the every day, hands open and surrendering, He will lead and He is pleased. Praying for you today, Andrea, and knowing that even though you may not be able to do all for His kingdom in this moment that you wish you could, He is also using you to help others make these radical choices and decisions and encouraging so many around you as well!
Andrea,
I had these EXACT thoughts a few weeks ago! This echos my heart as well. I think God puts this in our hearts to remind us that He is what we are ultimately longing for.
You are not alone. I am there in my mind, and I haven’t even been to Africa yet. Every thought that I have is filtered through the mindset that there’s got to more than this. I am so thankful that there is!!! And we were made for it.
Andrea,
I understand! I struggle with the same feelings! I thank you for writing the post.
It seems you are not the only one!!! A few months ago when we came back from Africa I was on fire and didn’t care what others thought. Then I let that old complacency settle in. Just in the past couple of weeks has God really been stirring in me and awakening me to my lethargy. Thank you for your post. Just this week God has pressed upon me to prepare… Not sure when He will open the door for us to return full time (my hubby too is waiting on God), but I want to be ready!!! Blessings…
amy
Oh yeah and I think Need to Breathe sums it up well in “Outsiders”
Oh Andrea, I love this post. I had many of these same thoughts after receiving some resistance at our announcment we were adopting, I still get them when I am fed up with my job or bills or car problems. I get them when I look at our friends who are so sweet but happy just where they are and comfortable in there “normal” family. In the midst of the frusturation and questions it is so comforting to know this life is a blink compared to eternity in heaven with our Father. You are not alone in your thinking, love and hugs from Indianapolis 🙂
I am so glad you are able to put words to what so many of us are feeling, going through, and processing ourselves. This is a post I would’ve wanted to write…so many of your conversations with Rico Suave sound like the ones my husband and I have here. Your heart and God’s really shine through in this post and I totally “get” you, even though we’ve never met in person. And if you get to go to D-land soon (oh I hope you do!:)) know that we’ll be cheering you on there too…and if you move to Zambia same thing…because this life is temporal and we’re living for Someone greater. I get it. I really do.
Oh, Andrea. Tears are just pouring down my cheeks. You put the words to my heart. I get all of this. Thank you for sharing, thank you for being brave and hitting publish. I need to know that I am not alone in these thoughts. It can get so lonely and discouraged feeling like an outsider – even among Christian friends. Just thank you. Be blessed. Praying for the wiphan ministry.
Thank you for being real…and being bold for Jesus. You draw me to Jesus!! I love to see how God takes us to different ends of the world for His Glory…and look forward to the day you post…”Going to Zambia” xoxo
Thank you for your words today and PLEASE know you are not alone. The conversations you are having with your hubby are the same we are having way up here in Pittsburgh! I love coming in contact with other believers who have the exact same outlook on life….Kingdom Living….amazing, yet so hard at times. But it’s all so worth it!
This might be for you today, from Ann Voskamp’s website, which I was originally introduced to by YOU, thank you so very much!
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/10/what-is-radical-faith-video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HolyExperience+%28Holy+Experience%29
you aren’t alone! thanks for processing with us!
You are so very articulate! You put into such beautiful words exactly what I feel and know to be true. Praying for strength and boldness to live it out…and waiting with an eager heart to hear the “Go!”
Sister I love you and I understand this. xoxo
I feel like you have just written what is in my heart.. like others have said you are not alone.. and it is so hard to understand why when we say lord send us we’ll go he doesn’t always send us right away.. but each of us is on a journey and patience is part of growing.. oh how I hope I get better at patience 🙂
Thanks for always being honest and please don’t stop!!!
Oh, Andrea, I SO get this!!! You wrote it beautifully. My husband and I often have this exact conversation. I am glad you shared. Blessings to y’all:)
Andrea, we are right there with you. I could have replaced my name for yours and my DH’s for Rich’s. I can identify with Every. Single. Word!!!! Praise God for waking us all up. He is so good! Be blessed sister! Oh… and yes, clear out that blogroll, I did, and you are one of the few left!
Oh yes, Andrea, I definitely “get” where you are…we’ve been feeling so many of the same things for quite a while now. Thanks for sharing your heart, Sister!
Sweet Andrea! Thank you for writing this! As so many of the others have commented, You have given words to what is on so many of our hearts! It is so hard not to get caught up in the here and now and forget the amazing plan God has for our lives if only we would surrender our lives completely to Him! I am so thankful to have friends like you who understand and give a voice to what us Mommas are battling against every day, to live in this world but not of this world! (:
Thank you so much for this post! You’ve put into words what I haven’t been able to many times over. So many times I struggle with living IN this world but not OF this world. For example, I see friends with closets full of shoes and for a moment I envy those shoes…and then I remind myself I have sufficient shoes and there are others in this world with no shoes, and instead of dropping $100 on shoes…how would God want me to use that money…having uber pairs of shoes is not important…I won’t take them with me to God’s kingdom. From now on, thanks to your post, in those moments like the one described above I will remind myself “heaven is my home” and ask myself “Does this have kingdom value?” Thanks so much Andrea.
You are definately not alone! Many hearts, mine including are screaming “amen!” to every every word you have just written. Thank you for sharing!
THANKFUL for this post! I live this way often in my small rural community as it pertains to adoption/orphans. I feel so stinkin’ alone much of the time. Yet in reality, we’re never truly alone … I know my Father, the one who opened my eyes to see, my heart to feel and my ears to listen is HERE WITH ME. He knows the battle, He knows my heart … He cares. And for this place in time this is right where He’s placed me. THANK YOU for being vulnerable and sharing your heart. I look forward to seeing what the Lord does in the coming months and years in the Young fam. 😉 Praying for you as you keep looking to Him .. each day … each moment knowing this is not your home and longing to be with your Father face-to-face one day.
You are not alone! Thank you for the wonderful and much needed encouragment that I am not alone either.
I am completely Blown away at what you just wrote, I actually sat closer to the screen to reread one of the verses you quoted, It was Exactly what I needed today. Thank you for posting, I feel God led me to your blog today. I have been struggling with knowing that God has something more for my family, wanting to do more for the Kingdom. To be smack dab in the middle of his will. But living for ourselves seems to have been our history and God is so sweetly showing me thats its not about me. That his blessings are what I long for, So I will continue to pray that he will show me where he wants me to be:)
Beautiful post! My husband and I are young, no kids yet. But we are learning to live like this and want to teach our kids someday. You are such an encouragement! Thank you!
Love this Andrea! It makes me not feel like a crazy person. 🙂 I also loved reading the other 29 comments. God is awakening His people. Love you my friend!
WOW! Your words hit my heart spot on. I have been saying this same thing (not so eloquently) to my husband and to my closest friend. I have felt such a heaviness and restlessness, not discontent exactly with where God has me, but instead, just restless with our culture (both in the church and in the world) that on the one hand, tempts me….and repulses me. I also get you on the need to “tone it way down” when I talk to people who ask about our adoption, etc. Or on facebook when I can barely keep myself from “sharing” everything adoption related or orphan related….
I don’t feel depressed…if anything I feel “AWAKE!!” full of joy, and crazy excited, but its hard to rein it in when I’m talking to people who aren’t on the same page. I do feel lonely sometimes. But I’m so thankful for your words, especially from God’s word. This isn’t our home, so I guess we should feel a bit weird sometimes. For so long, I just blended right in, so it takes some getting used to. Thanks again for your honesty!!! God bless you and sustain you in Jesus!
Hi, Andrea! I am a friend of Kimberly C and even met you one night a while back at a local Pizza place. Anyway, thanks for sharing such a moving post. I can understand your thoughts and questions…some days all I have are questions written in my journal. I love reading your process of thinking about such a huge, deep, conflicting topic. It’s so clear that we are to be different….and if we aren’t, we should be wondering why not. Thanks for sharing so openly! God bless you and your family.