"God Will Supply"

I'm finding that a common question among those wondering about how we're going about our adoption is: "Isn't that very expensive? How will you afford that?" Well ... yes. International adoption is expensive. And to be totally honest, we don't have the money for it sitting in the bank, but we believe that God has put this little child in our hearts and we are trusting in HIM fully to provide for it. Do you think that's foolish? Consider this:

Have you ever heard of George Mueller? I hadn't heard of him either until I read his biography to my children this school year. George Mueller started the first orphanages in Bristol, England in the 19th century. He started out in life as a rebellious teenager, but his life was turned completely around for good when he decided to follow Jesus as his Lord. After going to college, he decided he was going to become a missionary in Germany, but God had other plans for his life.

While George was in England, preparing to his mission work, he sensed that God began speaking to his heart about the orphans right there in Bristol. Living conditions in the poor sections of Bristol were horrid at that time and children often ran rampant through the streets, stealing food or selling themselves into lives of prostitution, simply to stay alive. Giving up his dream to travel to far away lands, George prayed and accepted the task of opening an orphange for homeless girls.

George decided from the start that since God had given him this heart for orphans, he would only ever ask God to provide the money. People told him he was crazy. They gossipped about him behind his back. Some even wondered if he'd gone insane. George never conducted a fundraising effort. He never engaged a letter-writing campagin. Though his earthly father was wealthy, he never asked him for a dime. In fact, he never asked another human being for money. Instead, he prayed continually and trusted that God would touch the hearts of those whom HE wanted to help George care for the orphans. And indeed, God provided in many ways. People came forward with donations of supplies, offers to work in the orphange for free and yes, sometimes simply with a financial donation. With each donation, freely given and freely taken, George would stop, give thanks, make a record of the donation, and then use the money only for the purpose for which it was given.

Sometimes, the bank account overflowed. And sometimes, it did not. But, George's faith that God would supply never waivered.

One morning, a staff member came into George's office. She said: "Mr. Mueller, it's finally happened. The children are all ready for breakfast and there is not a thing in the house to eat What shall I tell them?" Had God finally run out of resources for George and the orphans? Ever faithful, George stood up and said with confidence: "God will supply." He went into the large dining room where three hundred orphans stood in front of empty plates.

Even though there thousands of pounds sitting in a bank account, those funds had been donated for the purpose of building another house for orphans -- not for food. George had vowed to only use money for the purpose for which it was intended.

Steady and unshaken, George told the children to bow their heads to give thanks for the meal they were about to receive. God had never failed to provide for the orphans and George was confident God would not fail them that day either. As George closed his thanksgiving, there was a knock at the door.

It was the town baker. He explained that for some strange reason, he hadn't been able to sleep the night before and had this crazy compulsion to bake a bunch of loaves of bread for the orphanage. "I hope you can use it," he said.

George responded: "God has blessed us through you this morning." And within a few minutes, all the children were eating fresh-baked bread.

As they were eating, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His milk cart had broken down outside the orphanage and he had to remove all the milk to fix it. If the milk was not used, it would spoil -- could Mr. Mueller use this milk? Free of charge, of course.

Soon, the children were dismissed from the dining hall with full stomachs and sent off to school. God had indeed provided, even when it seemed there would be nothing.

Every day George Mueller prayed for God to provide for the orphans in his care. George bought property, built 5 separate buildings, educated and cared for thousands of orphans during his life, only ever asking God to "supply." George Mueller died in 1898, at the age of 92, with only one hundred and sixty pounds in his estate, and most of that was the value of a few pieces of furniture, yet more than one and a half million pounds passed through his hands during his long life.

So, what is my answer when people ask: "How are you going to pay for this adoption?"

God will supply.

Source: Benge, Geoff and Janet. George Mueller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans. Seattle, WA: YWAM Publishing, 1999.