God had a dream for me and my family that would require a radical faith. He had a son for us on the other side of the world. The question was would we choose God’s dream for our family? Would we believe in the character and promises of God to the point of actually stepping out and embracing all God had for us?
Living out that kind of radical faith is not easy. I must admit, I didn’t want to rock my world. We had just come out of a crazy time of having four children in four years. We had made it through bottles and diapers and potty-training and we were kind of in coast-mode. Our biological kids were now 9, 7, and twin 5-year-olds. We were out of survival mode and having lots of fun as a family.
And then God whispered into my heart, “I have something very special for your family. Are you ready for Me to show you all I have for you?”
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Free MP3Listen NowI had known God long enough to know that if He had something for us, that it would require stepping out in faith – trusting Him probably to a place I had not gone before. And I was finally feeling pretty comfortable in life. I didn’t want to give that up.
I wish I could say I changed my mind and wholeheartedly said yes to God and His dream, but I didn’t. I kind of thought God was crazy, that I didn’t have it in me to do what He may be asking. Doubt and fear settled in, and that is where I stayed for several months.
But God didn’t give up. He began working in our hearts during a mission trip to Haiti. We were making repairs on an orphanage when my husband and I fell in love with the children there. God opened our eyes to the plight of children with no family to love and care for them. Our hearts were broken. God was developing a dislocated heart in us.
After that trip, we began praying earnestly for God to show us the dream He had for our family. I still felt inadequate and still had so many fears, but through steadfast prayer, my spirit broke. My awe of God and who He is surpassed my doubts and fear. I was ready to trust Him. I was ready to live out a radical faith!
This road to God’s dream, His Holy Ambition, is not easy. It requires a dislocated heart, a broken spirit, and living out a radical faith. But He doesn’t abandon us on the road. He is there every step of the way, and on the other side of embracing God’s dream for us is more depth, more maturity, more reward, and more satisfaction than we could ever imagine.
This month we are celebrating five years with our beautiful son who God brought to us from the other side of the world. I cannot tell you how glad I am I did not miss all God had for me as my son’s mother. God’s dream, His Holy Ambition, is worth everything it takes to get there!
To learn more about what God may be calling you to, check out Chip’s series, Holy Ambiti0n.
Written By
Edel Gunnink
Edel is a busy mom of five very active kids, wife to one very adventurous husband, and caretaker of one very spoiled dog. When she is not homeschooling her kids or accomplishing the many drives on her carpool app, she enjoys workout classes, long walks, a good book, dinner out with friends, and lots of traveling. She and her family have ventured to 31 states in their RV with plans to visit all 50 states and recently they experienced an amazing family trip to Italy. Before writing for Living on the Edge, Edel enjoyed her position as a public school teacher and then principal of a Christian school. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University and completed her Masters of Education at Harvard University.
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