The Frustration of Sarah

Nothing has changed with our adoption....we just continue to wait and pray and wait some more and pray some more.

I often think about Abraham and Sarah.  How God promised them a son and it took so long for the fulfillment of that promise to come to pass.  They must have doubted and thought that maybe God meant something different.  Maybe they misunderstood.  That's exactly where I find myself some days.  Were we really supposed to walk down this path?  Did we hear God correctly?  Maybe we misunderstood.  This road of waiting is hard.

Sarah didn't respond the right way.  She was frustrated.  The wait was too long and she wasn't getting any younger.  She decided to take matters into her own hands and run ahead of God.  And her husband didn't say, "Let's wait on God".  He did what Sarah suggested and Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.  Sarah's stepson and Isaac (their promised son's) half brother.  You can read the entire account in Genesis if you're not familiar with the story.  But it all turned into a big mess....a mess that has lasted for generations.  All because Sarah didn't wait on God.

I am determined that we're not going to run ahead of God.  Some days I want to.  When I find out about a child that needs a home, I want to just say, "Okay, we have room, this will end all the agony of the wait".  But God has not called us to that.  He has called us to wait.  He has called us to wait on Him to act.  It would be disobedient at this point for us to open our home to another.

Our adoption is completely out of our control.  We still don't know if it'll work.  We do know that we are on the path that we are supposed to be on.  We have begged God to close the door if He has something different for us.  I have cried and pleaded and begged God to intervene one way or the other.

And friend after friend after friend continue to send me Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still.

I know that so many have been praying for something for years and God isn't answering.  It seems that He isn't working or that He doesn't care, because nothing changes.  But you have to believe that God is good and that He is working even when we can't see it.

"The apparent lack of an answer does not mean God is not working.  It means we are not yet supposed to know what God has already ordained.  We cannot confuse silence with inactivity.  Priebe

Keep praying.  Keep believing.  Have hope.  Have peace.  During these times of waiting, we have to put our faith and trust in the promises of God that He is faithful and He is good.  He is sovereign and nothing can thwart His plans.  I know it's hard.  I know it hurts.  I know some days it just seems that the answer will never come.  But it's coming....never give up!

Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

Elizabeth's Double Digit Birthday

Ten years ago at 11:30 am, a precious birthmother placed the sweetest baby girl in our arms.  Our Elizabeth Grace entered the world.  She would come home to a 2 1/2 yr. old brother and a 12 month old brother.  Our house was full of activity and diapers and all things baby....oh and very little sleep.  But we wouldn't trade it for anything this world has to offer.
She is one of the greatest gifts God has ever given us.  We are so thankful for her.  She has the sweetest and kindest spirit.  She is the most thankful and thoughtful of our children.  This is not because of anything we have done, but because God has given her the gift of encouragement.
We love the joy she brings to our family and so today we celebrate her!

1st Day of 7th, 5th and 4th

Oh my, they are growing so fast!  Where did my three little preschoolers go?

       

Happy 11th Matthew!

In the spring of 2001, we decided to pursue a second adoption.  We were living with my parents and building a house.  Why we decided to add the craziness of a home study to the craziness of building a house is beyond my understanding.  Everyone had to get medical physicals including my parents and my adult brother because we were all living in the same house.  Everyone got interviewed by the social worker and everyone was tested for HIV.  It amazes me all that you have to do to adopt, but it is worth every bit of paperwork and every medical visit and every paper chase that has to be done.

We had our paperwork in with two agencies.  An agency in Virginia that we used for the adoption of Stephen and also our agency in Michigan that was doing our home study.  Around June, we decided to pull our paperwork from our Michigan agency because we were paying fees to both agencies and decided to just focus on one agency.  Somehow our paperwork was never pulled, but we didn't know that until the fall of 2001.

On August 1, 2001, a very happy little boy was born on the other side of Michigan.  We wouldn't find out about him until late August/early September and he wouldn't be in our home until October, but God was working on our behalf.

 In October 2001, Matthew (his name means a gift from God) joined our family.  When we gave him that name, we knew he was a gift, but 11 years later, I know that he is a very precious gift.  Our house would not have as much laughter if it wasn't for him.  He thinks that nothing is impossible.  He is hot or cold, there is no lukewarm with Matthew.  He'll talk to anyone that will listen to him and he thinks that everyone wants to talk to him.  :)  His smile lights up a room....it did when he was a baby, it did when he was a preschooler and it does even now.

He is a reminder to me that God is faithful and that even when we can't see Him working, He is working on our behalf.  I am so thankful that God blessed us with such a faith filled son!  Truly, nothing is impossible with God!

Happy 11th Birthday Matthew!