If you've kept up with our family's adoption blog -- you know right now we're currently "waiting" for THE "call" that could come any day any time. (The call that will potentially-and-instantly lead us to our lil dumpling's file and pictures of him [or her]..)
We've been waiting technically since March 4, so we like to think we're close to receiving "the call."
Just yesterday sitting and chatting with two dear friends of mine, they asked how the process was going, and well -- I didn't have much to say. All I can say is that we're waiting. And waiting. And...waiting. Did I mention we're waiting?!! *Eye twitch* :-)
There is so much to learn in "the waiting" though. In my anxiousness and impatience, God gently reminds me that He's in control. He's got this. He has a plan that He's busy executing -- even though I don't see it yet.
Let me tell you friend, He is so patient with me. Believe me, He should've spanked me by now for my impatience and ultimately not trusting fully in His plan in all of this -- but nope. No spankings. Just gentle reminders. He is ever-so-gracious with my impatient-anxious-undeserving-self.
I told my friends yesterday that I could be talking to you, listening to you, but adoption will *still* be somewhere on my mind. It's either at the front of my mind, or in the back. It. Is. Always. There. And don't get me started on when the phone rings...
But while waiting is hard, nerve-wrecking, and tough -- it's actually a good thing. I just have to get that through this thick skull of mine!
In our waiting, we'll find ourselves relying more on our sweet Lord. Trusting Him more. Having to practice patience more (which is definitely a lost-art today). And aren't all of those things something we all need more of? In this day in age, we find ourselves being more independent and ya know, "take charge" kind-of-people -- so I think having control taken out of our hands and put in God's can most certainly be a good thing. Actually, not just a good thing -- an imperative thing. I might add that it's also necessary in our walks-with-Christ.
We impatient lil-beings are always in a hurry in everything we do. We hurry to get dinner done. We hurry to get ready to go. Hurry to get the kids from point A to point B. We hurry, hurry, hurry. But God? He's not the hurrying-type.
Have you ever noticed that things that take time are typically done in a much more efficient and careful manner? After-all, you can't rush beauty. You can't rush true art. You can't rush writing a good story. You can't rush miracles. So it's no wonder that our God is not as into rushing and hurrying things as we are. Boy oh boy, thank goodness He isn't.
Take Mary and Martha when Lazarus had passed. Remember? When Jesus showed up (presumably too late in their opinion - they said Lazarus wouldn't have died if Jesus would've gotten there sooner). Now we can read this scripture and think "Oh, the nerve to even question Jesus!" But boy, are we so much guiltier on a consistent basis of questioning the good will of our Father. Why would Jesus wait so long to go to Lazarus?? He wanted them to fully-experience-and-see the full power and glory of God; to give them a deeper understanding of His promises, and to increase their faith substantially. They didn't know why Jesus was delaying at the time, and boy were they confused, but afterward they could see the why.
While the waiting is hard, there are reasons why it's good for us to wait. It's also important to remember that we are not waiting alone! Too often we wait ON Him. God isn't directing and scheming somewhere high up in the sky over us -- He's right here with us. Right. Here. With. Us. We can have peace in waiting with Him, all while He's working in our life. I know all of this is common sense, but sometimes I need the reminder myself. And sometimes I get lonely in this process. I need constant reminders that I can wait with Him not on Him.
Even *after* we "get the call," we'll still have plenty more waiting to do (and that waiting will be harder than this waiting - because we'll have a picture of the sweetest-most-precious-lil-dumpling and we'll be wanting to get on that plane ASAP to get him/her). We're trusting and holding steadfast to God's plan though. There's a reason we haven't gotten a call yet; our little's file may have not shown up to our agency yet. Another family could be reviewing their file currently before making it into our hands. The staff may be busy matching other families in process. Or God may even have twins eventually for us! (Okay, not by a LONG shot - though it's fun to dream about!) But you get the point! Every adoptive-mama I've talked to (after completing the process) has looked back and can see "the why" -- why certain steps took longer than they would have liked at the time - why paperwork had to be redone - why this or why that --- but they can look back and see God's most-sovereign-hand in it all -- and how it all ultimately worked out beautifully according to His (slower-more-carefully-crafted) plan.
So what are you waiting for? Commit it to the Lord, trust, and wait with Him!
We've been waiting technically since March 4, so we like to think we're close to receiving "the call."
Just yesterday sitting and chatting with two dear friends of mine, they asked how the process was going, and well -- I didn't have much to say. All I can say is that we're waiting. And waiting. And...waiting. Did I mention we're waiting?!! *Eye twitch* :-)
There is so much to learn in "the waiting" though. In my anxiousness and impatience, God gently reminds me that He's in control. He's got this. He has a plan that He's busy executing -- even though I don't see it yet.
Let me tell you friend, He is so patient with me. Believe me, He should've spanked me by now for my impatience and ultimately not trusting fully in His plan in all of this -- but nope. No spankings. Just gentle reminders. He is ever-so-gracious with my impatient-anxious-undeserving-self.
I told my friends yesterday that I could be talking to you, listening to you, but adoption will *still* be somewhere on my mind. It's either at the front of my mind, or in the back. It. Is. Always. There. And don't get me started on when the phone rings...
But while waiting is hard, nerve-wrecking, and tough -- it's actually a good thing. I just have to get that through this thick skull of mine!
In our waiting, we'll find ourselves relying more on our sweet Lord. Trusting Him more. Having to practice patience more (which is definitely a lost-art today). And aren't all of those things something we all need more of? In this day in age, we find ourselves being more independent and ya know, "take charge" kind-of-people -- so I think having control taken out of our hands and put in God's can most certainly be a good thing. Actually, not just a good thing -- an imperative thing. I might add that it's also necessary in our walks-with-Christ.
We impatient lil-beings are always in a hurry in everything we do. We hurry to get dinner done. We hurry to get ready to go. Hurry to get the kids from point A to point B. We hurry, hurry, hurry. But God? He's not the hurrying-type.
Have you ever noticed that things that take time are typically done in a much more efficient and careful manner? After-all, you can't rush beauty. You can't rush true art. You can't rush writing a good story. You can't rush miracles. So it's no wonder that our God is not as into rushing and hurrying things as we are. Boy oh boy, thank goodness He isn't.
Take Mary and Martha when Lazarus had passed. Remember? When Jesus showed up (presumably too late in their opinion - they said Lazarus wouldn't have died if Jesus would've gotten there sooner). Now we can read this scripture and think "Oh, the nerve to even question Jesus!" But boy, are we so much guiltier on a consistent basis of questioning the good will of our Father. Why would Jesus wait so long to go to Lazarus?? He wanted them to fully-experience-and-see the full power and glory of God; to give them a deeper understanding of His promises, and to increase their faith substantially. They didn't know why Jesus was delaying at the time, and boy were they confused, but afterward they could see the why.
While the waiting is hard, there are reasons why it's good for us to wait. It's also important to remember that we are not waiting alone! Too often we wait ON Him. God isn't directing and scheming somewhere high up in the sky over us -- He's right here with us. Right. Here. With. Us. We can have peace in waiting with Him, all while He's working in our life. I know all of this is common sense, but sometimes I need the reminder myself. And sometimes I get lonely in this process. I need constant reminders that I can wait with Him not on Him.
Even *after* we "get the call," we'll still have plenty more waiting to do (and that waiting will be harder than this waiting - because we'll have a picture of the sweetest-most-precious-lil-dumpling and we'll be wanting to get on that plane ASAP to get him/her). We're trusting and holding steadfast to God's plan though. There's a reason we haven't gotten a call yet; our little's file may have not shown up to our agency yet. Another family could be reviewing their file currently before making it into our hands. The staff may be busy matching other families in process. Or God may even have twins eventually for us! (Okay, not by a LONG shot - though it's fun to dream about!) But you get the point! Every adoptive-mama I've talked to (after completing the process) has looked back and can see "the why" -- why certain steps took longer than they would have liked at the time - why paperwork had to be redone - why this or why that --- but they can look back and see God's most-sovereign-hand in it all -- and how it all ultimately worked out beautifully according to His (slower-more-carefully-crafted) plan.
So what are you waiting for? Commit it to the Lord, trust, and wait with Him!
