Ask and You Shall Receive

 “Ask, and it will be given to you;

 seek, and you will find; knock,

and it will be opened to you."

Matthew 7:7

 

I'm going to be really honest right now, I don't like asking for things. I tend to be very independent and try to get things done on my own. I don't hesitate to ask God for things, but when it comes to other people, I typically avoid. I don't want to be a burden on others. This is a problem. In the effort to be independent, I neglect the beauty of the body of Christ.Why do I bring this up?

 

I mention this because while in Haiti, I struggled with this thought. Upon coming to Faith, Hope, and Love I met a joyful little boy name Mackenzie. Mackenzie has been in Momma Dorothy's home since the early 2000's. He has more or less grown up here. Mackenzie is now 9 and has difficulty speaking. In Creole he can say one word: Qui (which he pronounces Whey).

 

 Meeting Mackenzie I was reminded of Sanders Morris. Sanders is a little boy that I did an Occupational Therapy Home Exercise Program with 3 days a week my last year of graduate school. If you look back a while you will find a picture of this precious one in a blog where I was talking about things I will miss about Birmingham. Since working with Sanders, I have become close friends with the Morris family. I cherish his parents friendship and love all 3 of their boys dearly. The beauty of the Lord to bring the Morris family and Mackenzie both into my life at two specific times puts me in AWE of the Sovereign Goodness of God!

 

The first week I was here I looked in Mackenzie's chart and saw a document from the Kaufman Clinic in Michigan. This is the speech clinic where Sanders spent 4 months learning how to speak! The founder of Kaufman clinic was Sanders therapist during his stay and is now friends with their family. I instantly knew I should talk to Rebecca, Sander's mother, about Mackenzie. BUT I waited three weeks. WHY? Because I don't like asking for things. WHY? Because I don't want to burden people. WHY? Because I wasn't choosing to participate in the goodness of the body of Christ. Thankfully, the Lord wouldn't relent. I couldn't quit thinking about it and 2 weeks ago I emailed Rebecca as I shot in the dust. I just couldn't go anymore without just simply asking. 

 

Ironically, Matthew 7:7 is the verse I was teaching the kids last week, amidst me seeing the fruit of asking myself. Rebecca didn't hesitate even overnight. She got the email and sent it directly to Mrs. Kaufman that night, she said she couldn't sleep before forwarding it. Throughout the past 2 weeks, we have emailed back and forth information about Mack, the requirements for Mrs. Kaufman's  program, and finally I sent her videos yesterday of his speech. By 11 AM this morning Mrs. Kaufman had responded saying that he was DEFINITELY a candidate and asking how we could make this happen? WHAT, JESUS?!?!?! Amen, as we ASK, we do RECEIVE. We receive your goodness. His goodness amazes me time and time again, it knows no bound!  

 

I received this good news right before lunch and I am still like a little giddy child! I'm SOOO excited and thankful about this opportunity! JESUS is AWESOME! As you can imagine, there are MANY things that have to be worked out in the meantime. But God is SO capable of making a straight path! With all of this said I would ask that each of you join me in praying for the following:

 

1. Please pray that we are able to contact Mack's mother or aunt and get their permission to proceed with him getting speech services in the states.

2. Please pray that we get a certified birth certificate

3. Please pray that the Visa process go quickly. Both Dorothy and I are not sure what this will look like. She is contacting resources she has, I will ask a woman I met at the hospital yesterday, and I plan on going to the US Embassy tomorrow and seeing if I can get any information about this. Please pray that I have favor as I go and hopefully get accurate information to get the process started.

4. Please pray for all things in the US to pan out. I don't foresee this being a problem due to the willingness of all involved who want to help. With this I would ask you pray for provision, as I am sure this will be an added expense Faith, Hope, and Love didn't foresee coming; however, our God lavishly provides for His children!

5. I would ask that you pray for a quickening of all of these processes!

 

Thank you for reading, for praying, and for joining in this journey. May God alone be glorified in Mack's journey to speaking. When I sat and asked Jesus for words over each of these little ones, the word's I got were PROCLAIMER OF TRUTH, the Lord reminded me of Moses. I am so expectant of the day when Mack proclaims the truth of the Gospel to all he encounters!

 

Thank you to Rebecca Morris for asking and for Mrs. Kaufman for saying yes!

 

I now challenge you to ask God for something BIG and just wait to see what He does! You WILL NOT be let down! He is Faithful!