Others, however, would smirk and comment
that maybe we’d bitten off more than we could chew. It felt like they were
looking for evidence to support their opinion that we’d made a mistake. It was as if they were watching for us to fail and taking pleasure in our
discomfort. Nothing short of a miraculously smooth and quick transition for all
of us would have convinced these skeptics that God was with us. They’d shake
their heads, roll their eyes, and tell us they didn’t know how we kept it
up.
I didn’t know how we kept
it up either. There were days when we had two or three appointments with schools, doctors, dentists, counselors, or others. We also had to
make time for homework, training in life skills, behavioral issues, our jobs, each other, our grown children, our parents, and church activities. We
simply muddled through, taking each day’s challenge as it came.
Seven years later, we’ve
made so much progress that none of us would recognize the family formed in 2017.
Whenever I am reminded of the difference, I praise God for His work in all of
us. Yet even now, there are days when we still wonder how we keep up. All we
know is that day by day by day, our family has been blending, our girls continue
adapting, and somehow, we’re all still breathing. Our God has worked many miracles—and
He’s not done with our family yet.
On those days when I feel
overwhelmed, I’ll sometimes hear those cynical voices in my head: “You’ve
bitten off more than you can chew. This is going to get the best of you. You
cannot do this!” That lying voice is my cue to take a break and rest, to intentionally seek the strength I need. “Jesus often
slipped away to be alone so He could pray,” (Luke 5:16, NCV). I need
to do that, too.
On top of that, there are
four things I’ve learned to remind myself whenever I think about biting off
more than I can chew:
1.
I bit off more than I could chew because God
led me to. My husband and I made our home available to children who needed a
permanent home and family. The girls we adopted are gifts from Him, handpicked
by Him for us—and us for them. Little by little, He has helped us all to adapt.
Daily He’s showing us how this works.
2.
If I never bite off more than I can chew, I
will never allow God to show His strength in my weakness.
Whenever He leads me to do something that feels overwhelming, that’s my cue to
pay attention and watch Him work—through me! Yes, it’s tiring, but it’s also
exciting. A God-given challenge is a privilege and a blessing.
3. Though this may be the biggest big bite I’ve ever taken, this isn’t the first time I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. God has led me through many challenges; He will lead me through this one, too. In the words of John Newton, “Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ‘tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home” (Amazing Grace, stanza 3). Aside from my own experiences, I also take courage from seeing God's faithfulness to others who've bitten off more than they can chew.
4.
If ever I physically, as opposed to
metaphorically, bite off more than I can chew, I have the choice to spit the
bite out and throw it away or just keep chewing. If I just keep chewing, it
probably won’t be pretty and it will be awkward and uncomfortable, but
eventually my teeth will break the food down, so I’ll be able to swallow and
continue eating my meal. Challenging tasks are just like that. Life gets messy
and awkward and uncomfortable and less than beautiful (though I suspect God
finds it even more beautiful), but eventually, everything settles into a
new normal. That’s when everyone who has been involved or supportively watching
can rejoice at what God has done.
Father, thank You for the blessing of big bites! Please give us the determination to just keep chewing. Provide Your strength, wisdom, humor, and any other resource we need to carry on. Remind us of our calling and Your faithfulness. Display Your glory as You work in and through us. We love You, Lord. Amen
Photo by CWMGary on Freeimages.com
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