7 Months

This is a post I NEVER thought I would make. This will be an honest post. I write this post with a heavy heart. I don't need a bunch of "God has a plan" comments. I know that. If you want to say something just let me know you are with me and that you care. Our adoption process has been quick. Everything about it seems to have gone at "record" or near record speeds. Fingerprints being turned around in just a few days instead of a few weeks, paperwork coming back faster than anyone expected...those sorts of things. So I thought that once we got on the waiting list we would not have to wait long on that either. Boy was I wrong.

Today we hit the 7 month mark. In what is touted as an average 4-6 month wait, we have passed the average. I realize you may think we are above average, but here I prefer not to be. (wah, wah). So today is a bit of a struggle. I also have the weight of our biggest conference of the year just 10 days away. There are plenty of details and small things and larger things to take care of yet. I roll pretty well with all of that, but it still weighs. I also am waiting on an appointment with an orthopedic specialist to find out if I need to have surgery on my rotator cuff, which is torn.

Each day I anticipate a call from Dove, our adoption agency. Each day that passes there is a piece of me that is sad for the loss of that day and not knowing who our children are. Last week I changed my ringtone for Dove from Cold Play's Viva Lavida to MercyMe's Won't You Be My Love. I originally had Viva Lavida because I just liked the song, but I have fallen in love with this album from MercyMe and this song has great meaning to me and our children. Take a listen to it on this video.



Now, there is plenty of good stuff in the midst of these occasional harder days. Being the nearly eternal optimist I tend to find the good stuff pretty easily. Take tonight, for instance. We have an adoption support group that meets once a month. Tonight was February's night. As we gathered around food, we shared, caught up, laughed and enjoyed just being together. We also talked about how we can promote "caring for the orphans" as Jesus calls us to, on a wider scale at our church. We each shared how the others could pray for us. Praying together is significant. It joins us. It draws us closer together and closer to God. It warms the heart of God to hear His children talking to Him together.

Then we received some unexpected gifts. From one couple, ready to journey to Ethiopia in just a few days, we got a book called "Jesus Calling." I am super excited to dive into this book which is a daily reading of words taken from the Bible to be read as if God is saying them directly to us. Just what I need! Then another couple handing us a check towards our adoption! What?! I am seriously blessed.

Riding home in the car I reveled in the moment. I tucked my kids into bed, did our normal good night routine and prayed with them. I thanked God for how He has placed our family together and for our other family members half way around the world.

So bring it February. Give me what you got. Does that include a phone call? I hope so.