I suppose it's about time that I update you on the adoption. And really, what can I say except that not much is happening. We are still waiting and, in fact, have been told that we should expect to wait up to 12 months now, which isn't bad considering we have almost hit our 9 month mark.
What's another three months, right?
I can't believe how quickly time has gone though. Last year, while eating my pulled pork sandwich during our Fourth of July celebration, I remember thinking, "this time next year we might be celebrating with our daughter." And then in the blink of an eye, it was suddenly 'this time next year' and instead of pulled pork, I was eating some seriously delicious brisket, and it occurred to me that she still wasn't here.
Then I got worried because I remember thinking that same thought while eating smoked salmon on Christmas Eve (I know, I have strange thought processes, but I function well that way.) , and if I let my first experience be the judge, I probably shouldn't expect that she will be here by Christmas either. And the more I thought about how I have been relating all these dates with our daughter being home, the more I thought that I was just jinxing myself...in a Murphy's Law kind of way.
To take it one step further, I thought we should plan a big trip because according to Murphy's Law, if we were to plan a trip, we would receive our referral and, coincidentally, have to be in Russia on the exact dates of our other trip. Yeah, I had this thing figured out. I was on a roll, and could speed up this adoption on my own.
And then I realized how stupid I was being. I mean, seriously, who is in control here? It certainly isn't me. And Murphy's Law, while admittedly ironic, is not in control either. God is.
Ahhh...I am now breathing a huge sigh of relief.
It's tiring trying to be in control of something that I have no right controlling. It's like I am spinning my wheels but going nowhere. And then just when I think I am going to go crazy, the Lord reminds me that He will take care of the details, all I need to do is trust Him...oh, and fill out lots of paperwork.
Now getting to my original purpose for this post, I wanted to share with you something that God has done for us, to remind us that He is in control. I know that some people who read this blog will think this is just pure coincidence, but I know, that I know, that I know, this was orchestrated by God.
Three months ago I sent in an application to Shaohanna's Hope, for an adoption grant. I wasn't sure if we would receive a grant, as they are generally given to families with the greatest need, but I felt the Lord impress on me that I should submit an application. Upon submitting the application, I was told that it would take anywhere from 3-4 months before a decision would be made.
And so we waited.
Several months passed and I kind of forgot about the loan...not completely...it's just that it wasn't on my mind as I checked our mail last Thursday. As I sorted through the unusually large pile of mail, discarding all the junk, two pieces stood out. The first was from Shaohanna's Hope, and it was a letter stating that because of the high volume of applicants, and their limited resources, they were unable to provide financial assistance for our adoption.
Just so you know, the Lord has told us that He would provide for this adoption, and I never doubted that, but there have been times that I worried a little bit. I often wondered where the money would come from, so when I sent in the application to Shaohanna's Hope, somewhere in the back of my mind I thought, "this must be it, because why would the Lord ask me to do it otherwise." You can only imagine how devastated, and panicked I would have been if not for the following piece of mail that just so happened to come on the same day...
This letter came in the form of a card that was personally addressed to Adam and I. As I opened the anonymous card, my mouth dropped open when I realized that inside was a large donation for our adoption.
In one day, one batch of mail, we experienced rejection and redemption.
Coincidence? I don't think so.
Here's the thing, and I know this to be true, God had planned this all along. His timing was perfect. His grace, abounding. And His reminder...well, let's just say I put Him back in control.
Have a blessed day,
Anna
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