Press On

Adoption is not for sissies.

That has been my catch phrase for a long time. Unless you have been there, no one really knows just how hard it really is. Take a look at some of the time of my posts and emails. It's hard. It tends to cause a lot of sleepless nights.

When families go into the adoption process, no matter how many times you are told this, you never know until you actually get into the thick of things just how hard it really is. I've labored for hours (many hours), only to end up with a c-section and I've experienced the labor pains of my heart, and I will openly and honestly tell you that the pains of adoption are far greater than the pains of labor.

There is so much uncertainty in the world of adoption, both domestic and international. I know so many families who have struggled in both areas. They have had failed placements where birth mothers have changed their minds, families who's children have died in an orphanage before they could get to them, families who wait and wait and wait for a miracle with a foreign government to happen. And still we press on.

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:14

That's exactly what we do, we press on toward the goal. Sometimes that goal seems just within our reach and then it seems as though the goal is moved. Sometimes, we only have a faint glimmer of the goal ahead, we know in our hearts it's there and therefore we just trust. If you are reading this and you are in the midst of pressing on toward the goal of adoption, then you already know that it takes more faith that you ever dreamed you had. You are more dependent on God than ever before. And, you, for the first time in some cases, realize that you really aren't in control of anything. I am so grateful to serve a God that is in control, complete control. Knowing this gives me a great peace as I press on.

As we are waiting for that coveted I171H to send our dossier to Ethiopia, all of those "why" questions roll around in our minds. We do this because this is what we are called to do. Having been through this once before, I know first hand that it's not an easy process. But, oh how sweet the end results are. We have a precious little soul waiting on us in Ethiopia. We will press on and bring her home. We will love her as our own. We will give thanks for her life and pray every day that God will use her in a mighty way and call her to serve Him. For all of this, we will press on.