Why Wait?

The adoption process is very different from pregnancy. The unknown timeframe of the process is one of the most challenging aspects that we have experienced. Adoption is something that you have to gear up for - the expenses, the paperwork, the emotional roller coaster, the great unknown. We have been driven by our conviction to care for orphans and God's will to bring another child into our family. Those convictions provided enough "umph" to help us muscle through all the hard work involved. And then....

We turned in our paperwork on November 6th, and expected to move to the next (and final) step of the approval process in a matter of weeks. Instead, we waited THREE MONTHS for that next step - our home visit. During this time there was nothing for us to do except wait. This waiting seemed like a waste because nothing seemed to be happening. And the reality is that nothing WAS happening. There had been some staffing changes at our adoption agency, so our paperwork probably wasn't touched that entire time. And, although we knew that our new social worker was doing the best she could, it really took the wind out of our sails. I was even tempted to question if we were sure that we should be adopting at all. It didn't seem real anymore.

When some friends of ours were in their adoption process, they also experienced an unexpected delay. At the time, it seemed ridiculous. But my friend had a response that was full of faith. She said that she was confident God was leading them to their child. And if He had to slow the process down to make that happen, then so be it. And she was right, of course. The delay in their process ended up making the timing perfect for them to be chosen for their baby boy.

That piece of wisdom has helped me tremendously during our wait. I think it is typical for us to think that having to wait for something we desire means that something has gone wrong. When the process speeds up, we attribute that to good fortune or God. When it slows down, especially for a reason that seems preventable or unnecessary, we become grumblers.

So, by faith we have chosen to believe that the wait, itself, is what has been happening. God has ordained this space in time so that all will fall into place as He has planned. Waiting is an active process, so those three months were not a waste.

That being said, our approval letter should arrive very soon, and we will be VERY thrilled for the next waiting to begin!

P.S. Here is a link to a great article on waiting that has encouraged me recently. Just in case there is something you are waiting for!