Adoption and The Scouting Party

I love the way you can read the Bible and apply it to every situation in your life. Recently, I rediscovered the story of Caleb and Joshua. I can't help but compare the faith that they demonstrated to the faith that is required to pursue adoption and fostering.
Moses entrusted 12 men to go out and gather information. They were to assess the situation and report back to the tribes of Israel. Only two came back with their eyes fixed on God. How can that be after all that they had seen? Then the negative reports spread like wildfire in the camp. By the time it was done, the Israelites claimed to prefer slavery and desired to stone Caleb and Joshua. Caleb and Joshua must have been stunned. They were so fixated on God they didn't even see the enemy. They cried, "Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid."
In the midst of longing for, providing for and caring for an orphaned child how many enemies (circumstances) do we encounter? Where do we fix our eyes? Do we see the circumstances or the God of Heaven and Earth? Sometimes the circumstances are our own hearts longing to be safe. Sometimes it is a system. Sometimes it is family that hasn't yet appreciated where God might be calling you. Sometimes it is the very child that you longed for fighting against your love or worse yet, The Father's love. Sometimes we don't even see the milk and honey, only the giants that inhabit the land. How much does God have to do for us before we trust Him with all abandon? Trust despite sense, reason and facts. We spend so much time trying to protect ourselves from physical and emotional pain that we forget that is those very emotions that will drive us into Our Father's protection. I'm praying for faith like Caleb and Joshua. I'm grateful that when I don't have it, I'm surrounded by people who don't throw stones but point me back to the source of my strength and protection.