I shall begin this post with a little self-disclosure. Here’s something you may not know about me (unless you’re my mother, my husband, my sister, one of my children, the clerk at the post office, or the driver of that silver Camry in front of me that is moving at roughly 19 mph)…I’m not, traditionally, a patient person. When there’s something to be done, I’d like it done now (and I’d like it done the way I’d like it done, please…though that’s an issue for another post).
I’ve heard people say, “Don’t pray for patience because what you’ll get are situations and opportunities to practice and cultivate patience.” Well, I’ve certainly had plenty of “opportunities” to practice patience over the years. (Fellas, grab your shoes.) Unfortunately, I haven’t been making appropriate gains in that area. (It’s time to go. Where are your shoes!) So, perhaps God has enrolled me in a remedial course in patience-production. (Put down that stick and go find your shoes! Now!!) I certainly found the adoption paperwork process to be fraught with opportunities to practice patience. (Why are you not putting on your shoes?!!) And, that was just the prelude to THIS…
We’re currently two months in to what we believe will be about a nine month wait to be “matched” with our child. Incidentally, we believe, deeply in our hearts, that God has already “matched” us with a particular child, who was identified and destined to be our daughter since before there was time…it’s just going to be another seven or eight months until He shares the details with the orphanage officials, adoption agency staff, and us.
Despite my great desire to celebrate with other happy families by removing links from our cute and colorful paper chain, our agency has given out only one referral to a waiting family in the past month. But, the fact that this uncharacteristic sense of peace has settled over my spirit with regard to our adoption process is significant. We have recognized from the start that our family would be changed, enriched, and blessed by the process of adopting a child. Clearly God is using this journey to cultivate a little of the ol’ patience-fruit (among other things) in my life.
All this waiting, makes me think of a song that I really like:
Sarah
