I love when God puts people in your path, and then they re-cross your path years later!  I met Melinda the summer I was living in Ethiopia waiting to bring Camp + Asher home.  She was on a short term Visiting Orphans trip with my life long friend, Melissa.  I got to hang out in their room and hang out with their team a little that week, and since then Melinda has been such an encouragement to me.  I know her story of being a single woman and waiting on the Lord will really bless those of you who are in that same season!  Meet Melinda!

[Melinda, third from right, in Ethiopia with Visiting Orphans!]

Hi, my name is Melinda Adams and I currently reside in Indianapolis, IN. I am a daughter, sister, and aunt to the most awesome nieces and nephews ever! As much as I love them though, I desire to have a family of my own!

 I believe I have always known that God intended for me to marry and have a family, I just never thought I would be in my mid 30’s and still waiting! I am one of four children, and the only girl in the group, it has it’s advantages! However, I am not the youngest, and when my little brother announced that he would be marrying in July of 2000, my world fell apart! I just thought being older I would marry first, but more than that I feared that God had found something more worthy about my brother to allow him to marry first, it made me feel forgotten by God like my dreams and desires didn’t really matter. My family was none to please with the fit I was throwing, but the truth was it was really hard for any of them to understand, because they had all married in their early 20’s. In March my mom and I were invited to a bridal shower for my sister-in-law to be, and I didn’t want to go! I followed my mom around the house nagging at her, the way I had when I was a small child. Finally out of frustration she said ” If you want me to say that I don’t think you should go, I won’t because I think you should, but if this is the way you are going to be, then don’t go”! That was all I needed to hear, I spent the day wandering around downtown, looking at other couples wondering what they knew that I didn’t. Miserable I went to my car and cried, pounding the steering wheel at the injustice that I felt God had inflicted on me. I screamed until my lungs burned, and cried until my eyes were nearly swollen shut. I stayed out until I knew everyone would be in bed, so that I didn’t have to be confronted by anyone.

  I crawled into bed and sobbed into my pillow, and in the stillness of that moment I heard the Lord speak to me, from within my spirit, He said:

IF you are finished then I have something to say! I know that you are hurt that your brother is getting married first, but I want you to bless their marriage. For it is of me and it is good for them to marry. I also know how much you want to get married too, and it will happen, but it’s not yet time. I have chosen for you a wonderful man who will be a leader with good character and integrity, he will love me, and I will call him ” a man after my own heart”. He will love, honor and cherish you all the days of your lives, but today he is not yet ready. I need you to give up your little box to me, the one you keep with only the smallest ideas about who and what this man will become! If I lined every man around the world and asked you to pick him out you couldn’t, and if I asked you to pick him out, you wouldn’t chose him. He comes with a past, but do not fear it, for I will redeem and restore all that is lost for both of you. If you will trust me to do the work, that is needed in both him and you to prepare for each other, then when the time comes I will bring him into your field! For today he is not even in your state!

I drifted off to sleep with the firm promise and knowledge that indeed my husband was real!! I wish I could say that I heeded the Lord’s words to me, and waited on Him. 13 years has made me antsy, and I have been inclined to do something to “help” God out, so that we could meet. I assure you the Lord needs no help from anyone, least of all me. He always brings me back to my place of waiting on him. He places me at his feet, and brings my focus right back to him. Some days are easier than others, when it comes to waiting. Rick Warren, his book  Purpose Driven Life says, ” The trouble with being a living sacrifice is that we tend to crawl off the alter!” We have to die to ourselves on an everyday basis, and say to the Lord I trust you and I am willing to wait for you! It’s not easy, but God is a God who redeems and restores, even when it seems impossible!

  I would to challenge you to do the same thing that the Lord ask of me 13 years ago, by blessing the work that He is doing in others lives. You may feel like it’s salt in an opened wound, but I promise it will help you and them too. From the beginning of time God has made promises and fulfilled every one!  He knows that we grow weary in our waiting, so He told the people down through history to recount His faithfulness to the next generation. Why, because when we face trials of all kinds, we tend to forget, everything He said and he wants us to know that from the beginning to the end, He will be faithful, it’s who He is! He isn’t just going to fulfill what He has promised you, he is giving you a testimony, that will someday give him the glory, and help some one who is enduring “the wait”!

Remember Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not yet seen.

If you need encouragement while you wait, send me an email at melin1218@yahoo.com I would be honored to pray and bless you while you wait!