Tuesday, July 19, 2011

It's In The Waiting

In our hurry-it-up, gotta-get-it-done, fast-moving world, waiting is the last thing we want to do.  No one likes to wait.  We want things when we want them, and we often display little patience when things fail to happen according to our timetables.

Frustratingly enough, waiting is a big part of the adoption world. Adoptive families hurry to fill out dozens of forms and rush here and there to get them all approved; but after they're all done, they sit and wait. And wait. And wait some more. And just when they think that they should be finished with all of the waiting, they find out that they must wait even longer than they thought.

And then adoptive families are forced to drop to their knees, beseeching God to help them move the mountains that stand in the way of getting their precious treasures home where they belong.
Rare is the adoption that moves at a brisk pace from beginning to end. The vast majority of them plod along at a nail-biting snail's pace.

But it is often in the waiting that God does His greatest work.

And for some reason, those adoptions that are especially hard-- those that drag on for a ridiculous amount of time, or that seem to encounter obstacles at every turn-- are the very ones that demonstrate how the mighty hand of God is at work. Those are the ones that show how God is not only rescuing Lost children, but also breaking down barriers and strongholds so that He can shine His light in the dark places where societies hide their unwanted children.

We have seen this not only in our adoption, but in several others as well.

We are seeing it again this week, with some friends who are trying to bring two children home from a country in Africa.  They are encountering an endless number of roadblocks; yet as they round each corner, they are seeing God's mighty hand moving in ways that go far beyond what they have imagined.  It is in their waiting that God is doing a marvelous work.  It is in their waiting and praying and crying out that God is answering prayers-- not only theirs, but also those of many others who desperately need HIM.

It is in their waiting that they are seeing that God is doing a NEW THING in the hearts and minds of the people in the village where their children were born.  It is in their waiting and praying and crying out that they are seeing God's true desire, which is for everyone in that village to know HIM.  It is in their waiting that they receive the pleasure of seeing God drawing hearts towards Him.  It is in the waiting.

To God, adoption  is more than just bringing children into families.  It is also redemption.  It is also relationship.  And it is in the waiting that God often does His greatest work.

6 comments:

  1. We are one of those families who have been waiting much longer than we thought we would to get our little girl home. I ask God to show us what we need to learn from this, so we won't waste the wait. I love what you said about redemption...beautiful post. Thank you for taking the time to write it, Julia. Please keep praying for Caroline's health and for us to get her home. :)

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  2. Thanks for reminding why I have to wait. I am the world's worst waiter. The thought of my little one sitting in an institution any longer than she has to breaks my heart. But I promised God when I started this journey that I would be better at the waiting game this time and put my trust in him because it always at the end of the journey that I can look back and see what he was trying to accomplish. So thanks again for reminding me as we have only started on this very long journey and I am already sitting on pins and needles.

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  3. So true! God uses trials and storms to bring fourth the most tasty abundant fruit!! :)

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  4. July 30th it will be one year. I am not the same person I was when we started down this path. God has used Paisley and all of you to make me a person that He delights in...at least I hope He does anyway. Thank you for the reminder, she is worth the wait, and I am a better momma because of it. Love you friend.

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  5. Thank you for making this point - I needed to hear it today. With an estimated wait of 2 years, I SO needed to hear this today...

    Brooke Annessa
    www.TheAnnessaFamily.blogspot.com

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  6. Julia, this is exactly where we are today.

    Waiting for our verbal referral to adopt a little Bulgarian girl who has been waiting in a lying room for over nine years. Waiting for our travel dates. Waiting to go hold our girl for the first time.

    We are trusting Him to work in this waiting, and your reminder was an encouragement to my heart this morning. Thank you.

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Loving words from kind people make our hearts glad!