Just a Case of Braxton Hicks

I'd like to think that I'm not a worrier, but who am I kidding. The stress that I felt this morning was something fierce! My husband is always so calm, cool, and collected but not even he could stand the waiting. At 9:45AM I was ready to call our agent but he encouraged me to be patient. In less than ten minutes, he called me back and wanted me to phone our adoption agency. I had to leave a voice message. The thoughts and words were hard to form in my head. "I'm calling to see if you have any word on our daughter today." Of course, she called while I was out of my office and left the following message: "I just received your message and I am confused. I don't understand why you would be calling. I'm not going to know anything until our court date on FRIDAY!!!" The emails we have exchanged clearly stated that our case was going to court on Tuesday, February 9, 2010. My husband and I were completely dumbfounded. We had spent a number of sleepless nights, countless tears, and the most precious moments in prayer for this day--our court date only to learn it's not until Friday!

What started as disappointment and anger has melted into relief and laughter. We haven't been postponed or rejected; today was never our date to start with. Later it was explained why there was confusion between the Ethiopian calendar and our calendar, but that didn't really take away the sting.

Would you call this "false labor"???? I think so.

I wonder if there is a quota on how many times you can ask friends to pray for you. If so, then I've used all of my requests in the last few weeks. Like most people, I try to figure out what God could be teaching us.

The last few weeks have been trying, but there have been some of the most tender moments that I have shared alone with the Lord and my husband. I wouldn't trade the time we have literally cried out to the Lord for our baby girl for anything. I wonder if we would pray and seek Him with such intensity and desperation if we had not hit this speed bump along this path.

God continues to remind us how badly we want this child! Several years ago, my pastor said something so profound. "There has never been an unwanted adoption. While there have been many unplanned pregnancies, there's never an unwanted adoption." How true! I am gaining a little more understanding of Romans 8:15. "We have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [and daughters], by who we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" God has adopted US into His family! He wanted us so badly and went to great lengths to make us His children! After months of paperwork and waiting to clear homeland security, I see how challenging this can be. However, we do not give up because we long to have our baby home. God didn't give up on us either. "We are adopted as sons [and daughters] through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" Eph. 1:5

God has worked out many details throughout this journey. Why would He abandon us now? We trust that He will be faithful til the end. Until the day we hold our baby girl, we will trust Him in the waiting.

To Blog or Not to Blog

Why in the world would anyone have a blog? I believe those words have come out of my mouth more than once. And when many have asked if I had a blog, I just chuckle and say no one is really interested in what I am doing. Even though that may still be true, I must give praise where praise is due. There are hundreds of tiny miracles and even more that I'm sure have gone unnoticed.

My husband and I have been on an amazing journey these last few months after God laid on our hearts to grow our family through the miracle of adoption. We prayed for months before we chose an adoption agency that was a good fit for us. From the week we sent in our application, we have seen the hand of God at work. We completed all of our paperwork in 10 weeks and were prepared to settle in for a long wait. However, God's timetable was much different than ours.

I've never been a fan of movies with flashbacks, but there are gaps in our story that must be completed. I'm excited to share this journey as we prepare to bring our baby home.

"For in You the orphan finds mercy." Hosea 14:3