I shared the other day that this past week was extremely difficult. My heart has been breaking with a situation going on with our “daughter” K. I know many of you have been praying for her.
Since our Place Called Simplicity is public, it is impossible for me to share any details on here. I will say this, in all of my 51 years I have not met many young women as sweet, precious, guileless as our K. She exudes Jesus. Her heart is tender and compassionate.
I first met K through my counseling practice. She was eager for all of God {and she has become a mighty young woman of God}. Over the months that followed I came to deeply love this precious young woman.
She has no family whatsoever here in Colorado, so we “adopted” her. She calls me her mom. {She even gives me Mother’s Day gifts!} She comes to holidays at our home. She and I text back and forth. We know her well and consider her a daughter to us. I wanted you to see her. Doesn’t she just exude Jesus? We went to a Beth Moore Conference in the spring and K sat with Emmy and I. She had brought her camera and wanted a picture of us together…I am so thankful for it…
But last week something happened to her. It is a story that even Hollywood couldn’t make up. It left Dw and I reeling. We both have cried and cried. We have seen a lot in our years of ministry, but nothing like this, nothing even close.
At the River Run this past Saturday I saw Liz from church. Liz is someone who knows K very well. They were in the same home Bible study together. I had been wanting to call Liz and tell her of the situation, but just hadn’t been able to yet, I was so consumed with trying to help while praying and fasting. I asked Liz if she had heard what happened. Now you have to understand, Liz is a very even keel and logical woman, not the dramatic type at all.
When I told her the story she collapsed to her knees and was crying. It is that serious friends. It is that horrible. It is that unbelievable.
My prayer is that one day I will have K’s permission to share her story here. I don’t know if that will happen, but that is my prayer. That one day K’s story will be a Memorial Box Monday story. It would be a true testimony to only God and His deep care for His children.
So I have debated how to share all this. And here’s what I feel the Lord is wanting me to do.
I have heard people say, from time to time….pray about something once and then just trust the Lord to work it out. When I hear that I am reminded of this scripture and that Jesus told this parable to his disciples in an effort for them to understand that this is how we ought to pray.
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ “
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8
When I have had circumstances in life that have knocked the stuffing out of me, this is the scripture I turn to. This is what I pray, “Lord, it’s me again. I need you to move this mountain. I need you to show your power, your might, your majestic moves, your care, your strength….and well Lord, you told me to pray like this widow….and so here I am bringing it before you again….cause I just can’t rest. I can’t pretend it’s not going on….I need, for my sake, to remind you again, thank you for showing me that it’s okay to bring it to you again, and again, and again…in fact it appears you want me to bring it to you as often as I am troubled by it…and so I am here again, just like ‘that “widow” who kept bothering the unrighteous judge’.”
Now, I realize that the situation with K is not the only thing going on in the world. Many, many, many of you have needs. Hundreds of you have written me private emails. I pray when I read them, and often my heart breaks. Yes, there are many needs around the world.
So here’s what I was thinking. I would like to have a time of prayer and fasting tomorrow. Two weeks ago we had a public/group fast. Many of you joined in. We saw God move some huge mountains. A judge ruled for a family, after they totally and completely did not think she would. Then the Judge in Uganda finally granted release for J and C’s two children. There was tremendous victory!! I cannot help but think that it was directly linked to the prayers around the world and the fasting….
So tomorrow
{Tuesday, September 21, 2010}
will be a day of prayer and fasting.
Would you guys join with me?
I would like to ask those who have prayer needs to post a comment.
Here are some needs I have heard over the years:
a wayward teen
a loved one with an addiction that needs to be set free
a spouse who doesn’t want to adopt
a parent doesn’t want you to take a missions trip
kids that aren’t into adoption
a healing needed
your own heart has wandered from God and
you are in the process of returning to Him
a job needed
financial hurdles
bonding with an adopted child
a move
lonely for friends
a house to sell
adoption obstacles
healing of childhood memories
complicated family relationships
wanting to start an adoption ministry at your church
and many, many, many more….
Would you be willing to pray for the needs that others around us have?
Would you guys be willing to pray tomorrow specifically for K?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be part of a giant prayer force tomorrow, bombarding the heavenlies on behalf of bloggy friends around the world?
I will do a post just after midnight tonight and this is the plan:
I would like you to leave comments with your prayer needs on that post! I am not going to do a mcklinky……just comments. If you have personal needs and don’t want to share them, you can just leave a comment that says, “Personal” or “Please pray for me” or something similar. No one will have a clue what that means. My family and I will pray for each of you by name….and we will ask our RIGHTEOUS Judge, who loves each of us so much, to move the mountains…..
And I will go back and refer to that list over and over praying for all the needs you post in the days to come as well….whether they be “personal” or specific…
In the meantime, please would you pray for K today? That Almighty God would minister to her and be her Deliverer, her Peace, her Refuge and her Strength?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart…and thank you on behalf of K.
PS….Memorial Box Monday will be on Wednesday…
yeah, I realize that that’s probably illegal since it’s called Memorial Box Monday.
Been praying. Will continue to pray….
Love you.
I'll definitely take part. Hugs and love
Linny,
Our church is doing a series called "Supernatural" right now, focusing on miracles in the Bible — from Noah right up through the new testament. I think we forget that God is in the same miracle business today that he was back then.
Praying for K — that whatever her story is, God will show his almighty power in her and through her testimony!
So glad she has a friend in you!
Love,
Karen
I won't be able to fast this time because I will be on a plane for Uganda! But I will be praying for K. I hope everything turns out alright! She sounds amazing!
Tomorrow is the day when Ukraine is voting whether they should put a moratorium on adoptions. I imagine it will be decided by the time most of us Americans are up, but it is still a thing to pray about in the mean time. And hopefully, it will be a huge praise.
And, my husband and I got a summons on Saturday that our former landlord is taking us to small claims mediation over "damages" to his property. This is absolutely a ridiculous allegation and he is a very unpleasant person. We are in the process of adopting and we do not want to waste any money on this man, but we also do not want to this to drag on and conflict with our adoption timeline.
I will join you in this!
Faye
Praying for friends in the process of adoption that have come into a road block with the homestudy agency.
A big move for us- it's a secret so don't post anything on our blog or facebook please. We don't know where God is calling us yet, but have had some possibilities.
Friends going through a disruption.
Friends who need some big changes to happen- waiting on God for those.
Oh Linny, I will continue to pray. I have been praying since I saw your tweet and will continue.
This is a wonderful idea and I look forward to participating!
You bet I'm in! The Lord gave me this verse early on in one of our adoptions and I BELIEVE IT!
Dear Sweet Blog Friend, I would like for yall to Pray for Haven Home of Montrose Colorado we are seeking God as to direction to get a shelter I feel the time is now! The cold is coming! However I realize that Gods timing sometimes is not our own! Thanks for Praying! Janet
You bet I will fast and pray for K and all of the others who post needs. There is nothing that is more of an honor and no more Holy ground than that. Thanks for you beautiful heart….still planning to call and chat one of these days 🙂
Shannon
I will pray for your friend and I'm sorry she is going through a horrible situation. I'm so glad she has you as a friend to love on her during this hard time.
Here in Australia it is already early Tues morning. I will certainly pray for your dear daughter in love K.
While I feel totally blessed and cared for by our wonderful Lord and know that His Spirit dwells within me I would like prayer that the Lord will open more doors for me and that I would recognize them and boldly step through them and encourage others and proclaim his love to a lost and scared world.
Jennifer
Here in Australia it is already early Tues morning. I will certainly pray for your dear daughter in love K.
While I feel totally blessed and cared for by our wonderful Lord and know that His Spirit dwells within me I would like prayer that the Lord will open more doors for me and that I would recognize them and boldly step through them and encourage others and proclaim his love to a lost and scared world.
Jennifer
This theme goes along with something I heard on the radio on my way to work today. The minister was talking about his family bible study, and how he had his daughter start reading about the misery David was going through, and mistakenly told her stop in the wrong place. As the daughter came to the stopping place she looked at her Dad and asked if he was sure because David was still miserable. He told her to continue to read until David saw the light. The minister realized, and shared, that we all have to go through our own miseries and then through prayer we can eventually emerge into the light and love of God. I've been thinking about it all day because it really resonates with the medical history/events of my children and all I have learned from those dark days. I have added K to my list regardless of her dark days.
Count me in to fast/pray tomorrow!!
Thank you SO MUCH for doing this! I can't wait to pray and fast with you all! I would love prayers that the hearts of my close family and friends would be opened to let me go on a mission trip to Uganda, and that they would be moved to help out in the orphan crisis.
Love,
Allison
I'm in for tomorrow Linny. Continuing to bring K's situation before the Father again, and again, and again. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking . . .
Love you friend, and I'll be with you and all the others, reading and praying (and fasting) through the requests tomorrow.
Tina ~ xo
I'm in! It's such an uplifitng feeling to participate in your calls to prayer and fasting.
Would you please pray for the major financial mountains our family is facing and the impact that is having on our adoption process?
I need to remember to pray like that widow. I've been getting down that my prayers have seemed unanswered as obstacles continue to mount. I know that He is working on our behalf, but I've neglected to keep bringing our situtation to Him. Doubt and fear have been so strong. Thank you for the reminder that He desires for us to bring Him our troubles, again and again.
~Kelly
will be praying and fasting but also could use a miracle ourselves. We desperately need our approval to come from USCIS by Wednesday or we will have to redo ALL of our paper work and travel in Feb. to get our daughter. As well as a miracle that our dossier will be accepted and translated before our country closes down for several weeks.
Trina
Will be praying and fasting.
I just would like prayers that my best friend Allison's mom and our close church friends would put fear aside and not only change their hearts on letting Allison go to Uganda, but also open their eyes to the orphan crisis.
Love in Christ,
Lindsay
I'd never fasted before the fast you asked us to do two weeks ago. I only fasted breakfast (since I was a newbie), but the response we all received brought me to tears! When I read your blog saying that our most amazing God had moved every mountain he could to get the orphans home; I was rendered speachless. So proud, I was, to be a part of this movement. For the feeling of accomplishment alone, I would take part in the fast tomorrow. Add on the fact that your lovely 'K' needs our help, well, there's no way I can say no! Count me in on this fast for 'K', and thank you for helping me too God. Xoxo
prayers for K from Michigan. We are sending our love. You are a good mama. God bless her.
Linny,
I don't know if your remember Jeri from Buffalo. She called me and sent a video clip of her friend and co-host of a Christian talk show who was healed after being paralyzed for 23 years – yes, paralyzed for twenty three years. Jeri said God spoke to her in the shower and told her to call me about this woman's miracle.
I'm soooooo believing for your friend K, for Deb adopting Betty from Uganda. for Abby Ryan and Finn, for orphans in Kenya, for Katie in Uganda, for my kids, for my friends' kids, for provision, for protection, for God to do what He promised and bring His amazing grace into the situations that seem impossible. He will not let those who hope in Him be ashamed.
I'm asking you to please pray for my healing as I fast and pray for yours, and Renae's, and Rodrick's, and Danna's and Kim's…
Bless you.
Hugs,
Lisa
Hi Linny,
i will be praying for K tomorrow. i have to tell you that it is a crazy day for us, and we could use a wee bit of prayer. My "middlest" is having two extra teeth taken from her palate under general anesthesia. i'm not concerned about the procedure as much as anesthesia. Since we have no medical history on little miss, it does make me a bit nervous. If you think of me, please pray for Sophie.
Am going to pray for K while we are waiting through the surgery, and off and on again all day. i can be very persistent! 🙂
Thank you!
Alycia
Praying for K, and will fast tomorrow. We could all use prayer.
I am in! Will look for your post in a bit. I have JUST received news on our adoption. . like just within the hour and I need God to do some BIG things. Would appreciate prayer. And would be honored to pray for your K. I am trusting God with her and with our adoption.
More later in comment on your next post
Will be praying for K. Linny you bless me every time I visit your site. I could really use prayer right now for direction and help with some financial issues. Thank you for the verse today. I was so encourage by it.
We will be joining in here in Canada because what better thing can I do on a day that God's glorious plan is carried out for my family then to pray for someone else to have the same glorious release for their family! K, you are in our thoughts and prayers – storming heaven's gates on your behalf, my sister!
Thanks for posting this Linn, you inspire and challenge me!
Teach
oh Linny….i'm in on the fasting and praying…been lifting K up since you mentioned the heartache days ago…will continue to lift her up unceasingly!!! What a treasure you are to her!!! Major love there!!! God is so faithful to place those special people in our lives to hold up our arms like Aaron/Hur did for Moses! The last prayer/fast was absolutely amazing…this will be no different…can't wait to see what the Lord will do!!!
Please pray the Lord's Perfect Will for me and my family. Please ask if it's time now for Him to move the mountain that has been in front of us for nearly 3 crushing years…so in awe over how He has sustained us in this time of severe hardship but the sweet joy that has been overflowing during this time has surpassed all understanding! Oh how we praise Him for all the good, all the growth, all the miracles that have come out of this to confirm that all things work together for good! He is faithful! Thank you!!!
He is holding K…in His loving arms…He will not let her go…He will not forsake her…He loves her so…!
You are precious, Linny! Praying unceasingly for you and your treasure of a family! love you! <3
Praying for K. Our God is so able to deliver.
Holding K up in prayer today. Please add the following prayers:
Open Spouse's heart to adoption
Bring home my pregnant 17 yr old daughter
Open heart to forgive & release guilt
In His Grip,
Traci
This is amazing. I just saw it today and I have already eaten so I will fast and pray tomorrow and of course pray both days.
God I pray right now for K. Lord you know the moutains that she faces. Lord you are in control and you have blessed us time and time again so abundentaly. We thank you for K and we know she is a child of yours. We also know that you have plans to prosper us, not harm us, and you see a bigger picture than we do. Please I beg for your blessings to be poured to Kay in a big way, and I pray and believe in your ability to take something very bad and turn it in to a miracle. Lord we thank you for K and her life and thank for the blessings you give to us time and again. In Jesus name I pray.
I am also requesting some big prayers for our family. My daughter Lilly who is 6 and adopted from China last year, is having major surgery tomorrow. My grandmother also recently fell and is bleeding internally on her brain and no responsive. She is a wonderful Christian woman, and I know her prize awaits her but we pray for peace for our family during this time. I also pray for guidance on adoption again. I pray that God will show us the way financially and emotionally.
Thank you so much. You will never know how much this means to me!
Leslee in NC
We have an adopted daughter that is now 29 years old. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 13 years old and has been on medication since. She recently had a baby boy, is not married to the baby's father and is living with him. She has also gone off her medication. We are concerned about her baby but also her. The baby's father is not a good person and has been in prison for dealing drugs. Please pray that our daughter will come home to us and bring the baby so we can help to raise him. He is so precious and needs a much more stable and peaceful environment. We have placed them both in God's care because at this point, that's all we are able to do; that, and to keep praying for them. Please join us in prayer. Thank you, Martha in SC
Praying for K. Please let her know she is in many thoughts and prayers.
I've known about this story and I'm thankful you were able to share about how it spoke to you. Thank you and now I know even more how to pray. Will continue to pray for K.