Matthew 6:26

God is such a GREAT God . . . a God who chooses to meet us where we are, walk with us every day, and reveal Himself to us in such beautiful ways.

At the beach this weekend, I was enjoying the fresh sea air, my toes in the sand, and the water as far as my eyes could see. The beach always brings me to a place of peace and solitude and wonder and awe in our God. He is such a BIG God, and He formed the world with so much diversity and beauty. He forms US with such diversity and beauty.

He has moved me to love His children with a depth that only He could give. . . whether it be a precious newborn baby, a courageous birthmother, children waiting to be adopted so far away from here, our patiently waiting adoptive families, or the sweet community I have found in my coworkers. . . it ALL moves my heart, and I know it moves the heart of God as well.

Which brings me to the fish I almost stepped on . . . the broken-in-half, stinky fish on the shoreline. I thought to myself, 'how sad- some fisherman could have made some money on that little fish, if it had been caught in a net, or on a line. Nobody wants it now, this fish: laying on the shore, broken in half, dead.
Nobody will want to pick that up, or eat it, or even look at it more than once; it will probably just rot there.'

That little fish put a bit of a damper on my shoreline walk. I even took a picture of the fish so I could show my friends how sad it looked. Then I went to sit in the sand and journal and be still. . .

Until something caught the corner of my eye. A bird found the fish, and proudly carried it in its beak as it hopped along the shoreline. This bird was DELIGHTED in the fish. God reminded me, "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26).

Of course. . . of course. What was stinky and useless and TRASH to the world was a TREASURE to that sweet bird. God CARES about that bird . .
. takes care of that bird. . . and He offers even more to US. More than stinky, broken-in-half fish washed up on the shoreline.

God reminded me of His children. This world is fallen and cold and
hard- and there are clients we meet or children we serve who have truly been cast away from the world- told they are unworthy, they are wrong, hopeless, they are not redeemable. . . that they are unforgivable, alone, and they are nothing. How humbling to be called to meet them in that place where the world has thrown them aside . . . what a joy to walk with them into the courts of His Kingdom.

His Kingdom, here on earth- His Kingdom of LOVE and TRUTH and forgiveness and wholeness and beauty and community. Life will not instantly become easy, but with God on our side, and people fighting for us, and realizing that GOD. DOES. TAKE. CARE. OF. US. . . that God CARES. . .

THIS Truth is what moved me from my little hometown of Hays, Kansas to Birmingham, Alabama. 1,000 miles away from home, to serve our Incredible God in a ministry that FIGHTS for His children, believes in His purpose and strives to share the heart of God as the heart of our ministry. . .

Thank You, God, for caring- for providing- and for being all You are.

Michelle Staab
Birthmother Counselor