Isaiah 25:1 ~ "O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them."
Adoption is a gift that has brought more joy to my heart than I thought possible. (#269) And when you adopt from Asia, you learn that there are two guarantees: 1) There will be delays. And 2) You will get your baby. (#270)
The waiting is probably the hardest part. But it's also a blessing, because you get to experience God in way that you wouldn't have otherwise. (#271)
Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
It took nearly 2 full years for us when we adopted Jillian. (The longest pregnancy ever.) But the joy I experienced when she was finally placed into her forever family was uncomparable to anything I've ever experienced. (#272) I imagine that must be similar to what God feels when He adopts one of us into His forever family. That moment when we finally "get it"; when we finally realize that we need Him; that we no longer want to go through this life without Him. He welcomes us with open arms, smiles, and says "You are Mine forever." (#273)
I also think of how we comfort Jillian when she's scared or overwhelmed by letting her climb onto our laps, holding her tightly and saying "it's okay. Mommy's here. Daddy's here." God does that same thing for us. He lets us climb up into His lap, being held tightly by the One who gave us life, and says "it's okay. I'm here to protect you and comfort you. Do not be afraid." (#274)
Traveling to a foreign country, half-way across the world, can be a bit frightening. I remember the day we left for Omaha to catch our flight. Jenica's stomach was in knots, and we weren't sure she'd make it very far before we had to pull out the barf bag. But God met her in her in that moment and gave her the comfort she needed. (#275)
This is the second photo we got of Jillian. It was taken just before we traveled to China.
You can tell by her face that she needs us. It just breaks my heart to think of the 143 million orphans in this world, needing a family. She has been such a huge blessing to our entire family. (#276)
If you want a good read, pick up the book "Kisses By Katie." You won't be disappointed. I'm about half-way through it and I hope to finish it this week. Her story will definitely impact you in a positive way. (#277)
I am so excited for our friends to experience those same feelings of joy that we felt, when they add another child to their families. The wait is so hard, but it is so very much worth it. And being able to walk thru their journeys with them -sharing stories with each other, celebrating with them, praying for them - has been such a blessing. (#278)
Both families will be traveling sometime late spring or early summer. They are in for such a treat! I'll leave you with one more picture of Jillian. This photo was taken while we were in China, a few days after she finally felt the love that a family can give her.
Thanks for this post, Janet! I never imagined in a million years how hard the wait would be. It just seems so crazy that she is there without us and we want her to be here, but we can do nothing about it. This summer seems like such a long way away! But I know all the waiting will be worth it. That is amazing to see the sparkle in Jillian's eyes after being with you for a few days! The first pictures barely even look like her, but the last one sure looks like her. Thanks for being there for me and being an example for me!!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Lori! I totally understand the feelings you're having. It's so hard when you're at the mercy of another country and it's government. If it were up to us women, we'd get our baby's picture one day, and we'd be on a plane the next.
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