It has been six months since we have started this adoption journey. The homestudy has taken longer than we anticipated, so that is a little frustrating, but I am trying to keep the right perspective. Our social worker has completed our homestudy now and it is in the hands of our agency, Generations, so it should be a couple more days...but it should be sent to the USCIS office pretty soon. Normally, this approval has taken two to three months, but one of my adoption blog friends, Sara, just received hers in TEN DAYS! Yes, I said TEN DAYS! So maybe things are starting to speed up. I heard about this last night and it got me thinking...maybe ours will be here in the next month! That would be truly amazing!!!
I have had such mixed emotions about the speed of this process. On one hand, when I think how long our homestudy has taken, it makes me very frustrated...especially when I realize it usually only takes two to three months opposed to FIVE. ( I am not bitter, I promise) But, for two months no adoptions were being completed in Uganda because of the visa situation. Now Uganda is open for adoptions, but there is a huge delay, because there are only so many government officials to help complete these adoptions. So even if our homestudy was completed early...we would still be waiting for things to resolve. In other words, God's in control and this is his story anyway, not mine. I often want to take control and make things happen in my timing.
When we started this process back in late October, we knew that other people would think we were crazy to adopt a child from Africa, especially when our two other kids were three and one. I knew I felt the Lord calling us to step out in faith and trust him in starting this adoption process. In one respect, I was scared to death, but in another respect, I was so passionate about the calling the Lord had place on our hearts...I knew that this is where true life is..right in the middle of his will. I also was just trusting that the Lord would direct our steps. If adoption was as crazy as people said it was, then he would just close the doors and open other ones. I knew we could not go wrong by trusting and abiding in him. If the Lord wanted to make it happen in six months, he would be there with me, guiding me, helping me, redeeming me with 3 kids under 3. But, the Lord seems to be prolonging this process...he obviously knew 3 kids under 3 would have been too much for me. (who knows...it could happen before August)
On another hand, it is so hard to sit in our comfortable lives and watch the suffering children around the world through our computer screens. I feel so blessed to have my eyes open to what is important to the Lord, but... Oh....how I long to meet their needs and be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. But, God has called me to be a mother to two precious children right now and to pray for those suffering children. I feel a little bit stir crazy and a little bit jealous when I read about people going to Uganda. I am so eager to hear about all that the Lord accomplished with Sixty Feet and I was thrilled to hear 700 people accepted Christ in 3 days through a friend of mine's father, Larry Wright, who was preaching in Uganda through Time ministries.
So neat to see how the Lord is leading his people to minister to others, especially in Uganda. I am so excited to see how he is using them, but anxious to be over there. But, I should be thrilled that the Lord is sending his servants to meet the needs of the desperate people of Uganda. And I am, but all righteous thoughts are mixed with our yucky sin.
So when I start to get frustrated with this process, I just remember that the Lord has a perfect plan and he knows what I need and what I can handle. He is really teaching me to embrace where I am and to abide in him every hour of every day. (A Praying Life) His will for us is right now in this very moment. There is no need to worry about tomorrow because we can't control it anyway and I don't want to... God's plans are so much more fulfilling.
It is hard to believe we might be USCIS approved sooner than we thought...If not, the Lord has me right where I am for a reason. And I am excited to be on his adventure and living his story.
I have had such mixed emotions about the speed of this process. On one hand, when I think how long our homestudy has taken, it makes me very frustrated...especially when I realize it usually only takes two to three months opposed to FIVE. ( I am not bitter, I promise) But, for two months no adoptions were being completed in Uganda because of the visa situation. Now Uganda is open for adoptions, but there is a huge delay, because there are only so many government officials to help complete these adoptions. So even if our homestudy was completed early...we would still be waiting for things to resolve. In other words, God's in control and this is his story anyway, not mine. I often want to take control and make things happen in my timing.
When we started this process back in late October, we knew that other people would think we were crazy to adopt a child from Africa, especially when our two other kids were three and one. I knew I felt the Lord calling us to step out in faith and trust him in starting this adoption process. In one respect, I was scared to death, but in another respect, I was so passionate about the calling the Lord had place on our hearts...I knew that this is where true life is..right in the middle of his will. I also was just trusting that the Lord would direct our steps. If adoption was as crazy as people said it was, then he would just close the doors and open other ones. I knew we could not go wrong by trusting and abiding in him. If the Lord wanted to make it happen in six months, he would be there with me, guiding me, helping me, redeeming me with 3 kids under 3. But, the Lord seems to be prolonging this process...he obviously knew 3 kids under 3 would have been too much for me. (who knows...it could happen before August)
On another hand, it is so hard to sit in our comfortable lives and watch the suffering children around the world through our computer screens. I feel so blessed to have my eyes open to what is important to the Lord, but... Oh....how I long to meet their needs and be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. But, God has called me to be a mother to two precious children right now and to pray for those suffering children. I feel a little bit stir crazy and a little bit jealous when I read about people going to Uganda. I am so eager to hear about all that the Lord accomplished with Sixty Feet and I was thrilled to hear 700 people accepted Christ in 3 days through a friend of mine's father, Larry Wright, who was preaching in Uganda through Time ministries.
So neat to see how the Lord is leading his people to minister to others, especially in Uganda. I am so excited to see how he is using them, but anxious to be over there. But, I should be thrilled that the Lord is sending his servants to meet the needs of the desperate people of Uganda. And I am, but all righteous thoughts are mixed with our yucky sin.
So when I start to get frustrated with this process, I just remember that the Lord has a perfect plan and he knows what I need and what I can handle. He is really teaching me to embrace where I am and to abide in him every hour of every day. (A Praying Life) His will for us is right now in this very moment. There is no need to worry about tomorrow because we can't control it anyway and I don't want to... God's plans are so much more fulfilling.
It is hard to believe we might be USCIS approved sooner than we thought...If not, the Lord has me right where I am for a reason. And I am excited to be on his adventure and living his story.
I remember these days of waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Then you get a call and it's rush, rush, rush and then more waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
ReplyDeleteI promise you that when you're sweet child is home, all of this will fade into a distant memory very quickly.
As for the people who think you are "crazy" for doing this, what a great compliment! Nothing done for Jesus follows what the world thinks makes sense. Jesus operates on "crazy."
I'm so excited to watch your family expand and to hear the story unfold of how God took one of His precious children and lifted that child out of a difficult life and gently placed the child into your loving arms.
Much love in Jesus,
Amy
PS
Did you give Sarah the sweet little doll in the baby carrier? I've been trying to figure it out for months. :)
Melissa I know how you're feeling! Some days it seems so CLOSE and then others... so very far away. But I know God has a plan in it all... and He is preparing us for that time.
ReplyDeleteHave you read this book? http://www.amazon.com/Hinds-Feet-Places-Hannah-Hurnard/dp/0842314296/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c
It's such a fitting picture of how God leads us through a journey, sometimes in very unexpected ways. I just finished it up... check it out if you can :-)
Melissa! You're heart is beautiful! I cried last night because I'm so ready just to love on the unloved, but there's so many hoops! Jamie reminds me of the unloved here, now, around us, and that we're praying for God to open a lifetime of the unloved in the future! You are a blessing!
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