Favorite passage

Do you have a favorite Bible verse or passage? One that you recite when you are feeling low or when you need encouragement? I had an awesome Sunday school teacher when I was younger who encouraged us to find a life verse. A verse that would speak to us and that we could claim as our own. I highly recommend this. Over the years, I have had several. I am not sure if that is what Angie intended for us to do but as my life changed and as I grew, different verses spoke to my life. The verse that I hold closest to me right now is a verse in Habakkuk. How did I come across this verse in a tiny book? Well at Christmas this past year, I was speaking to my aunt about the problems that we were having with the adoption stuff. My Aunt Tami and Uncle Don have been such a HUGE support for TJ and I through this whole process. They adopted my cousin Taylor 17 years ago. First off, I can't believe that Tay is that old now! She has turned into such a loving and beautiful young woman and I love her to pieces! Anyway, my aunt told me about a verse in Hab. that they used to hold onto during their adoption journey. It was about writing down your desires and a scribe taking it to the ear of God. Don and Tami did this. They wrote that they wanted a healthy little girl with my uncles dark hair and dark eyes. They were so specific in their desires. and guess what? Taylor is exactly what they prayed for. After hearing this verse from them, I filed it away and thought that it was cool but not much else. So about 2 weeks later, we heard a sermon preached in Habakkuk. Hmmm coincidence right? Well that's cool. So later on that week, I was meeting with a woman I work with for lunch. She is a Christian but not a consistent church goer. Over lunch, she started telling me about a sermon that she had recently heard. Yep in Habakkuk. OK God I got it. I really needed to do a study in Hab. So that night I went home and picked up my Bible. Not to do my usual quiet time but to study this book that I had never read out of before. Boy am I glad that I did. I came across this verse and it has been such a blessing to me and TJ the past year. Here it is

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late a single day." Habakkuk 2:3

Wow right? As inpatient as I can be at times when it comes to having an adoption actually go through, God has a plan. And you know what? It won't be a single day late! How encouraging is that? Every day we are one day closer to having our vision and dream fulfilled and it is going to be awesome because it is in His timing! Do we still get impatient and struggle with frustration? Yes of course but just by repeating this verse and dwelling on what it really means puts us back in the place we need to be. Praise God for His timing and for that fact that He is never late! We just tend to be early! Thank you Lord for filling the Bible with verses that speak to us where we are. For loving us when we are not patient and not in Your will. For knowing our needs and meeting them before we do. Thank you for the amazing family that we have that supports us and lifts us up daily to You. We feel their prayers. Thank you for allowing us to live in a country where I can freely praise You. Thank you for being an accessible God. So many other religions do not have that. I pray for those people that they will come to know You and realize that You love Your people and that You are accessible at all times. Thank You for the people that fight to insure that our country remains free to worship as we wish. Thank You for being Abba Father. For loving a sinner like me. Most of all though, thank You for being my Savior. Because without You I am dead. You have given me life and life eternal. You sent your only Son to die on a cross for my sins when I am so not deserving. Help me every day to remember that and to strive to be a light every day!