When the Waiting Continues

I remember sitting at our domestic adoption training in Alabama listening to six couples share six very different stories of how God brought their beloved child into each of their homes through domestic adoption.  I don't remember most of the details of each story shared, but I do remember hoping that our story would be more similar to the couples that waited only a few weeks to a couple months to be matched with their child.

We started our adoption process late into September of last year and we finished up the home study process in the beginning of February.  My hopes of being matched in what I considered my ideal amount of waiting time have flashed past.  We are now six months into what I call the PAINFUL yet SANCTIFYING waiting period of our adoption process.  God has been using this season of waiting to really impact my husband and I.  While taking a rest on my couch one afternoon, I laid there praying and wondering when our time of waiting would come to an end.  My thoughts then wondered into thinking about what the wait has been like thus far.  How has God been developing our minds and hearts in this wait?

*Throughout our wait God continues to impress on our hearts that this wait is meant to stretch us.  It is meant to drive us onto our knees and surrender to God's impeccable timing.

Acts 1:7  "He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority."

*This wait has been a time when we have learned more about finding joy and fulfillment in Christ then in having another child.  Will we find joy in bringing another child into our family?  Absolutely, yet this child can too easily become an idol and something we desire more than Christ.

1 Chronicles 16:25  "For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods."

*This season of waiting is a time for us to learn more about God's sovereign way as he continues to open and close doors with birth moms.  Sometime it feels that this wait is an emotional roller coaster and while that is really true, we continue to learn how to surrender our high and low emotions to the One who is unshakable.

John 14:27  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

As we continue to wait to be matched with the birth mom God has planned for us what can we do to remain faithful and bring God glory?

BE PRAYERFUL

Pray for the birth moms whose situations we learn about.  These moms are in the midst of a huge life decision.  We can pray for them as they discern whether to parent or make an adoption plan for their child.  If they choose to parent, pray that God would bring people around them to support them in the raising of their child.  If they choose adoption, pray that they would find peace as they select a family to raise their child.  Pray for the birth moms that have not embraced the gospel that God would help them find rest and peace in the salvation of Jesus Christ.

BE CONTENT

Praise God for where he has us right now.  Praise him for the season of waiting that he has brought into our life to grow, strengthen, and ultimately draw us closer to him.

BE ANTICIPATING

Continue to grow in excitement for that baby that God will bring into our family.  God is at work in our adoption journey even when he feels silent!

BE PURPOSEFUL

Remember that in this season of waiting that others are watching.  Be an example of trusting God and use this time of waiting as a time to reflect the gospel to others.  1 Timothy 4:16  "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Stand for Orphans

Our adoption agency, Lifeline Children's Services, created Stand for Orphans as a way for children to understand that God has given them the opportunity and ability to affect change in the world.  To show kids that they don't have to wait "until they're older" to be part of God's work in the world.

When we ran across Stand for Orphans, it immediately caught our attention as a way to get local children, and even our community, involved in making a difference for vulnerable children and orphans locally and around the world.

A couple weeks ago we invited a small group of children from our community to come together to put on a Stand for Orphans.  We didn't want them to just see this as a fun summer activity but wanted them to understand what they were taking a stand for. They gathered in our home a few days before the lemonade stand where we were able to teach them how Lifeline cares for orphans, but most importantly, how the Gospel compels us to care for orphans.  They also made decorations for the stand. 

It was sweet to see the kids get so excited to take part in this. One boy, after finishing his decorations, went over to his mom and asked if he could help the WHOLE time at the lemonade stand. His mom said sure in which he fist pumped the air and proclaimed, “YESSSS!”

Another mom, whose 4-year-old boy was helping at the stand, told us that during the week leading up to the stand she and her husband had been talking to their son about what an orphan is. Later in the week, she asked her 4-year-old son what an orphan was?  She didn't expect her 2 year old to pipe up and answer, "no mom, no dad."  She didn't even realize her 2 year old was paying attention to the conversations that she and her husband where having with their 4 year old! It was amazing to see parents take the days leading up to the stand to teach their children about orphans and why God calls His people to care for them.

Here is the amazing group of kids who gathered together to prepare for the stand.

The kids blew us away the evening of the lemonade stand.  We thought for sure they would tucker out of helping during the 2-hour time frame.  We were prepared to take over when that happened.  But that never happened!  We were able to mingle with families as they came and left the real work to the kids.  :D

The evening turned into an incredible evening of fellowship for the parents as we all got to witness the next generation do their part in "bringing justice to the fatherless."  (Isaiah 1:17)

*If your child would like to take a #StandForOrphans visit http://stand.lifelinechild.org/

Kaeb Vacation

We had our Kaeb vacation at the end of June to over the 4th of July.  This was my 3rd Kaeb vacation since becoming part of the family.  It's always great to be with everyone and with 14 adults and 16 kids it's amazing that we were all able to make it.

We didn't take many pictures but here is what we did capture from the week in Branson.

We had 2-day passes to Silver Dollar City.  Matt and I were excited to let Judson ride some of the little rides.  As you can see, Judson did not think they were fun.  Judson definitely is taking after me (Kait) as a kid.  I was very timid and scared of things like rides when I was little.  

Kyson and Kendon were enjoying them though.

Judson loves, loves, loves babies.  He likes to "hold" baby Ivy.  He is so sweet and soft with her.  :)  Good prep for when baby #2 joins our family someday.

Matt bribed Cailer and Brock to ride a roller coaster that they thought was scary.  He told them if they rode it and at the end didn't like it he would give them each $10.  Matt was pretty sure that if he could just get them on it they would love it.  He was right and they thought it was AWESOME!

We then went to the Dixie Stampede.  Judson was also scared of the horses.  :P

We rounded the corner where he couldn't see the horses and were able to get a picture with him happy.  :D

Nice photo bomb Jason.....

Glad to have these memories.  Especially with my little family of 3.

Love all you cRaZY Kaeb cLAn!