Thoughts on our Adoption Journey and George Muller

June 13, 2022

I’ve been thinking of George Muller and his amazing story with building an orphanage for the fatherless children.  He did not work a secular job and he told no one of his needs.  He only prayed to God and God supplied for him exactly what he needed every time.  Sometimes that was through money or through donations of the material things that he needed to provide for the children.  It’s amazing to hear his story and I’ve always been encouraged by it in our own life and faith journey.

As far as our foster-to-adoption journey, we are only just beginning.  We’ve been working on the house construction for the last 6 months. However, now that the construction projects are coming to a close, we are moving into new projects to complete.  There are many necessities we are beginning to gather in regards to children, such as a crib, toys, baby changing table, etc.

Through all of this, I’ve been thinking about George Muller and how he told no one his needs, yet God provided for him.  For a while I hesitated to buy anything because I would compare myself to George Muller. I told myself I could buy nothing because I need to keep praying for everything.  I was doing this a for a few weeks, and I just didn’t feel right about asking God to provide for us free things.  I then began to pray in regards to feeling uneasy about what I have been praying. Shortly after, I remembered something God emphasized to me throughout our moving journey. When we were moving and didn’t have an income, we were greatly encouraged and inspired by George Muller’s journey. God laid it on my heart as a reminder of some sort, that although we are without a job in this season, I’m not George Muller and his story is not my story.  

Currently,  I am again thinking about George Muller, as we are beginning to get involved with caring for orphans. However, in our unique story, God had supplied for us a job.  Jared’s job is how He has provided for us, and continues to provide for us. We need to steward what He has given us wisely, and buy the things we need.  Just because I’m not solely relying on prayer for everything and receiving what we need exactly the way George Muller did, doesn’t mean I’m not having faith for it.  Just because I’m buying something with money, doesn’t mean God hasn’t provided the money, in order to make purchases for our needs for this up-coming season.

I also thought of our used nightstands that I paid and I prayed for.  It was only God who suddenly made them available to purchase, after they already had been sold to someone else!  He is with us in the process of purchasing all that we need, and guiding every step.  Everything we purchase with money still comes from the hand of God. 

Because of similarities in our stories, I have to keep reminding myself that our story is not his story. It’s ok to pay for things. Praying is always necessary whether you have a secular job or no secular job. God is still The One who makes a way.

Comparison Can Cripple Your Faith 

I think it sounds silly that I have to remind myself of something like this. I believe it’s the enemy who plants it in my mind to compare our story to his story. It then discouraged me from buying all that we need. 

The enemy puts it into our mind to compare ourselves to someone else and twists it into thinking we aren’t having faith.

I read this quote from a devotional, and there is so much wisdom in it:

“And while admiring the way God works in someone’s life can be encouraging to your own faith, there is a fine line separating admiration and comparison. Admiration can see the beauty in the differences while continuing to see the value in our own different experiences.”
– Kelly Anne Burns

There are a few different things comparison might say:

“God isn’t working in your life if it doesn’t look exactly the same”. Or, “that person is weird, because I’ve never had an experience like that”. (For an example, being healed – you may have never been supernaturally healed, so you become unbelieving of anyone being supernaturally healed.  Jared has often times received strange looks of unbelief from people when he shares about the symptoms from his concussions being healed.  We also get funny looks from people when we tell our moving story. )

Either way, comparison is stirring up something negative. That negativity will then cause us to be critical of ourselves or others. Being critical blinds us from seeing what’s good. It will prohibit us from seeing clearly how God is uniquely and specifically working on you, in you, and through you in your particular circumstance.

It doesn’t give wisdom, but rather creates confusion because it motivates you to make your story or someone else’s story into something that it’s not. It squashes out what’s unique about your journey.  Comparing discredits the amazing way God is working, and we are likely to miss how God might be guiding.

I think sometimes people are tempted to compare, when their path has similarities. But it will never be exactly the same, so we must not be tempted to copy. When you try to unintentionally copy, it’s almost as if you begin to tell God how things will work, rather than Him telling you.  He won’t submit to your plans of copying another.  God wants to do something new and personal for you. He will do it in a way that will not just bless you, but will also bless others within your circle. 

Looking back at our foster-to-adopt journey thus far, it’s been amazing to see God connecting our story to very specific people who we are doing life with. He’s been orchestrating our story in such a way that He continues to build our faith in this particular season of life, while also guiding and confirming our steps through them.  I’m deeply thankful for how God is uniquely building community into our lives. 

Scripture

When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.

2 Corinthians 10:12