A very blessed few have a child fall into their laps unexpectedly, but most adoption journeys are one of endurance.
It takes a lot of time to complete a home study. It takes a lot of time to put together a profile (for a domestic adoption).
It takes a lot of time to put together a dossier (for an international adoption).
Sometimes the wait to receive a referral is long.
Sometimes the wait to travel is excruciatingly long (now you have a picture of that beautiful baby and you can’t hold him/her or smother him/her in kisses).
Sometimes the time spent traveling involves long waits at airports and in hotels, taxes, or buses.
And the time spent doesn’t stop there. You may spend a long time connecting to your child or helping them connect to you. You may wait a long time for the adoption to be finalized.
So we expected to wait. However, we recently found out that our fingerprints were approved by CYFD (Children, Youth, and Families Department) over a month ago, but someone had neglected to contact our social worker to let her know our fingerprints had passed clearance. We waited an extra month because someone somewhere dropped the ball.
What a disappointment! We are so anxious to bring home our baby in time for the holidays. This could be the one thing to jeopardize that dream. Then we started praying and God gave us peace.
We were reminded that if our girls were conceived at a different moment in time, they would be completely different children. The same is true for a referral. We believe that before the beginning of time, God has ordained the path our family will take and which precious children we will be given to call our own. A referral given at a different moment of time would be a completely different child.
Clearly waiting an extra month for our fingerprints has not messed up God’s plan. He is orchestrating a plan that is far more beautiful than the one we have concocted in our minds. He knows the time we will spend waiting to bring this child home. He knows our child.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16
It is comforting to know each minute we spend waiting is a minute that God knew we would need to wait.
Your perspective is so wonderful--I always have a hard time understanding what you are until AFTER the wait is over!
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