Not what I expected

So, the more people at work find out that I've adopted three little guys who need a home the more I hear this comment and praise that we are doing such a wonderful thing and on and on and on. To be honest, I have only noticed this as more and more people find out that we have 10 kids and not just the three newly adopted boys. It has never crossed my mind that we are doing this to receive praise and attention from other people. I am concerned on one hand because that is what it might appear to be to some. My point of view is simple. I am doing what God has prompted me to do with my hands and feet. It's the same as if I asked one of my children to help me pick up the dinner mess or pick up toys. They use their hands and feet to physically pick up these items. Well, we are physically using our lives to provide a home for these children both biological and adopted.
Some people have asked me, "Isn't 7 enough?". Well, if God says that He is good with me having 7, then the answer would be "yes". However, God asked us to go beyond that. That brings me to my other thought to ponder.
I've always heard that "God does not ever give you more than you can handle." Lately, I think He does give me more than I can handle so that my only reliance is upon Him. When I can't do it anymore, I turn to Him and he stretches me more. Well, I keep finding that I can handle more. So, is it our flesh that believes we can't handle anymore than God gives? Or is it that we aren't trusting enough of Him to be stretched?
This whole process for this last round of adoption has taught us that when we take a leap, not even a step in our case, of faith, that He will stretch us and grow us. And when we look back to see where we've been, we see our footprints along with His right beside ours. Why is it that when we are on that journey we don't notice His hand holding our and His foot steps next to ours?
When I look back at this domestic adoption process and the speed at which things happened, I can only surmise that God was with us the whole way. Satan tried to close doors, cast worry into our minds, throw flaming arrows of doubt at us, but every time, God kept reassuring us with little positive notes along the way that He was in control and Satan's lies were only a mere distraction. Who goes from 7 children in hand on June 15 to 10 children by July 1 without the help of a supreme being? Mountains were moved, bureaucratic paperwork and legalities in the adoption system were physically moved by His hand. That is the only description I can look back and describe as to how all this happened.

Anyway, I can tell you that these new boys are fitting in well. They are being stimulated by all of the activities of the other kids around them and that we are seeing physical and emotional changes in their behavior that are positive! It's amazing to see them grow and learn in such a short period of time! The feeling and emotional ties we have with them are growing as if they have been with us since birth.

Thanks to all of you who have commented on our blog and have followed. It's good to know, as well as surprising, at all who actually take a peek inside our lives.