Sowing in Tears, Reaping songs of Joy

A friend of my (Kim Green--http://greenfamily.rkblogs.com/index.html) posted this on her blog today and it blessed me deeply. You will be blessed to read her blog daily!

5Those who sow in tears

will reap with songs of joy.

6 He who goes out weeping,

carrying seed to sowwill return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with him.(NIV)

4-6 And now, God, do it again—

bring rains to our drought-stricken lives

So those who planted their crops in despair

will shout hurrahs at the harvest,

So those who went off with heavy hearts

will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing. (The Message)

Sowing in tears... don't we adoptive momma's do a lot of that?! Waiting for that referral... the hurdles we must jump... the people we must please... trusting God to provide the money... getting the referral (those are tears of joy!)... waiting for the child to come home.... waiting some more...and then again tears of joy when we hold him/her... and then more tears as we raise this child for the Lord through all the day to day "stuff" of raising children! Man... those are a lot tears that have been sown in our kids!

I had this vision this morning of all of us (adoptive moms) laying our tear (and snot) soaked tissues before the Lord- at his feet. I coudn't see Him... just this huge pile of white tissues soaked with tears laying at His feet and women bent over crying. As we laid the tissues at his feet... the tissues turned color- beautiful bright colored tissue took the tear soaked tissue's place.... the harvest was *beautiful*!

There will be hard days ahead when you make the decision to adopt... you'll sow many tears. But please, make sure you lay your tissues at His feet... not in the garbage can of despair! The harvest is plentiful.. and *beautiful*!!! Blessings Abound.