And speaking of our adoption

I've had quite a few question lately regarding where we're at in our adoption.

The simple answer?

Waiting. : )

The adoption journey is an interesting one.

It's full of things for YOU to do but totally outside your control or timetable.

So even as you prepare and hurry and "do," it's all to wait on the timing of a God who sees every bureaucratic bump, hiccup and delay with no surprise.

And that is where we are.

For over a month now we've been waiting on the state of Illinois to approve our home study to send in our paperwork to USCIS to begin the process to get the few remaining items we still need to complete our dossier (about a 2 month process yet by the time you wait on government dates and paperwork).

Essentially everything else is done on our end.

I'll spare you the long story, but there have been some hiccups and now a whole lot of silence. When your home study agency and your adoption agency are both confused by it all as well, it's not the most encouraging thing. . .especially as we see the time lines of Ethiopian adoptions stretch out.

And yet it's moments like these I find so much comfort in the promises God spoke to us from His word as we began our adoption and in the TRUTH that He IS sovereign.

And as a result, I'm working to intentionally choose my reaction to this.

It's easy to become frustrated with individuals and to worry and grasp for control. Yet when I choose that reaction, I choosing to say that God isn't in control and that this isn't His journey to begin with.

This setback doesn't get in His way.

As I choose to trust He's brought us on this journey, I have to trust He is going to move in a way that grows our family in His way and His time. And if this delay is part of putting us in the right place at the right time for our child, I've been convicted that maybe even thankfulness needs to be more of my response.

Not always easy, but still true.

I read a post by another adoptive mother tonight who I'll occasionally read and I loved her challenge to waiting families and using this time of waiting. I think it applies to so many areas of life (whatever it may be that we're waiting on) and so I thought I'd share the link.

http://thefarmerswifetellsall.blogspot.com/2011/05/waiting-game-maintaining-your-sanity.html

So all that to say, can we ask for your prayers? We believe God can move hearts and mountains and tonight, that's what we're asking.

Until then, we pray, we trust and we wait. . . .and embrace what He's given us today.