Different

There is a lot weighing on my heart.  Some of it is not adoption related, but being in the process of an international adoption of a child with special needs is always on my heart as we continue toward that goal, and therefore, everything is currently being filtered through that perspective.      

We live in a world of differences.  Those of us born towards the end of the last century grew up being told things like, "Dare to be different." There was a push in media and education to acknowledge and accept one another's differences.  When the differences hit too close to home, however, it's not always so simple. 

There are many "different" kinds of families, churches, schools, classes within schools...this list could get really long.  Impossibly long.  

To list all the different types of just one of these groups, you would first have to define "same".  Then everything else would go on the list of "different".

What makes the differences??  The individuals within each group.  Have you ever met two people exactly the same?  Not even identical twins are truly the same.

It turns out that "different" is just a word we use when we mean "not the same as me."  Or "not what I'm comfortable with".  Or "not what I'd prefer."

Sometimes different is just a matter of lifestyle preferences and we can say "to each his/her own" and go about our business without really being bothered.  We sometimes think to ourselves "I could never do that job, marry that kind of person, live in that kind of home/neighborhood/town/etc., have that kind of wedding, raise my children that way, attend a church like that"...and on and on.  

However, when asked to tolerate "different" in our personal spaces at our workplaces, churches, schools and families, different sometimes becomes uncomfortable and inconvenient.  

This is when we are called to love like Jesus.  It's easy to love those who are easy to love.  But when people seem altered, contrary, offbeat, peculiar, or unequal (all synonyms of different according to Thesaurus.com),  and we welcome them into our homes, churches, classrooms and workplaces anyway - THEN we are loving like Jesus.  

It's not always easy because sometimes different smells bad, has speech impediments, looks unsightly, or exhibits behaviors that make us want to keep our distance.  But not much about living a life sold out to Christ is easy or easily understood.  Even by those living it.  Yet, the beauty of His plan is unmistakable.  We must seek Him first and above all else in order to see that beauty.

During Jesus' earthly ministry, He performed many miracles.  And many believed.  He also spent a lot of time with those considered "different".  He came for all of us.  He died for all of us.  Regardless of our differences.  

He longs for each of us to come home to Him.  For eternity.  But while we are here, we must be about his business.  Fulfilling our calling in the body of Christ and encouraging others to do the same, even if their calling is different than ours.

1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Matthew 5:

 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  

The National Down Syndrome Congress has a campaign called "More alike than different".  People with Down Syndrome are different than people without Down Syndrome, but who really is the SAME?  Even though this post is about differences in general, the link below gives some great perspective about Down Syndrome, which is Maeve's diagnosis.

http://www.ndsccenter.org/morealike/flash/

Regardless of our diagnosis, or lack thereof, none of us is the same.  God has a plan for every individual life and we are to use it to glorify Him with what He has given us. 

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Praising Jesus for His grace, His mercy, His unfailing love, and our beautiful children.

The Slide

Remember waiting your turn on the playground?  Particularly for the slide...

I'm not talking about the four foot plastic slide that lands you in soft, imported sand or wood chips.  I mean THE SLIDE.  

-At least ten feet above the ground at the starting point 
-Made out of shiny (HOT) metal
-Possibly bent in places from years of being not only "slid down", but also "tromped up"

Yes, that slide.  You stand behind countless others in the hot sun waiting your turn to climb a ladder the height of which future generations will only have the privilege of climbing if they go into the roofing business.  If you make it to the top without falling off and breaking a limb before you've even begun, you sit triumphantly and anticipate the thrill of rocketing toward the Earth on a slick surface willing to give as hard a landing as you are apt to bring upon yourself.

Then someone yells from below that they would like to have a turn too...the sooner the better.  The person that has climbed up behind you gives you a little nudge.  And off you goooooooooooooooooooo.  Thump.

It's over.  The anticipation.  The ride.  The thrill.  Conquered.  Done.

And you look back and immediately want to do it again.

So you RUN around and get back in line, already lamenting how loooong it will be before you again start to ascend the ladder.  Only this time you're strategizing about how not to get burnt and how to keep your skin from skidding on the way down.  

This time will be even better.

Fast forward to the adoption front:

We're still waiting in line for our turn to ascend into the friendly skies and land in EE.  We're still in line, grumbling along with the others about how long it's taking for it to be our turn.  The longer we wait, the harder it becomes to wait.  The closer we get, the further away meeting our daughter seems.  

We pray.  A lot.

While we're waiting though, we get to watch those going before us.  They report back on the conditions of their trip and about what to watch out for when we land.  We are genuinely happy for them.  They waited their turn in line just like we are.  We watch them go...and adopt...and come home and begin the hard work of attachment and bonding with their children.  Some get right back in line to answer the call again.  More precious children chosen and rescued.  It is beautiful to witness.

And we long for our turn.  And we thank God for His perfect timing, not knowing what lies ahead.  

Or when.

Christianity should be this way.  Elders should be walking the straight and narrow path as a witness the generations coming after them.  Young ones should be scrambling behind them, eager to walk with Jesus and confide in Him too, seeing the joy and peace it brings, longing to grow in Him and abide in Him because they can see how wonderful it is to be His child.  As they hide His words in their hearts and it eventually pours out of them for His glory in whatever calling He has given them, they, too, ought to be able to look back at the ones coming behind and remember what it was like.  

To be waiting, yearning, anticipating.  The good life.  The Spirit filled life.  And out of humble gratitude, thankful for their gifts and their blessings, they'll report back about their journey, warning the next generation about the snares and entrapments, but also testifying to the goodness and the fullness of living for Christ.  

We ought to be longing for that great reunion day, not knowing what lies ahead, or when.  

We are not guaranteed our next breath.  Others pass on from this world into the next every hour of every day, yet we still find ourselves surprised that it happened.  

We're so busy.  Busy, busy, busy.  

Coming, going, attaining, accomplishing.  Does it glorify Him?  Are we earnestly daily desiring to do the things that are pleasing to Him with the limited time we've been given?  Just how limited...only He knows.

It doesn't have to be big and life altering.  Just His will.  For each day.  Even in the small things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33

Praying for the fatherless this Father's day.  Praying that the desires of their hearts will be granted, and that they too will know what it is to follow a loving Father.

Our God is Greater

Another, smaller batch of documents began its journey from our home to Eastern Europe today.  

We need one more piece of paper...just one.  

Once it joins the others in EE, we will be completely submitted and waiting to be invited to travel.  But first, we need that one last piece of paper.  Imagine our surprise when we found out yesterday that it may take longer to get it than we previously thought due to some unforeseen circumstances.

I will admit that after weeks of working toward this goal of having all of our documents completed and sent to EE with little to no delays (yay! Praise the Lord!), this small kink (a possibly two month kink) kinda threw me for a minute.  

It's that feeling of shock you get when you hear that unexpected news.  Even though you know God's got it.  Even though you know that there is so much that you actually don't know because His ways are so much higher and so much better.  
   
You know the song..."Our God is Greater"!  Sing it with us.  Pray with us for continued grace and mercy and HIS perfect timing.  No human plans can alter that, however it may look through our limited vision.  

Our sweet daughter on another continent was made by Him and He loves her more than we could ever dream.  We are just the ones privileged to be entrusted with her care for a while.  

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55: 8-9

Please continue to pray for Maeve to know us in a supernatural way.  And for that piece of paper to come supernaturally fast!  In Jesus' name!

The Waiting Part

We are finally... officially.... waiting...

After nine intense weeks of constant "paper chasing", we are finally at a point where all we can do is wait.  We are waiting to hear when our appointment will be for our USCIS clearances.  Then we will wait to go to the appointment.  Then we will wait to get our approval - Lord willing.  

After that, we will have a bit of paperwork to do again to get the rest of the dossier notarized, apostilled, and then sent overseas.  And again we will wait...for our dossier to be officially submitted... and then for our appointment date in Eastern Europe.  

We know who goes before us and we are so grateful.  To God be the glory.  Great things He hath done!

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psalm 27:14

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Pray with us as we wait and trust in Him for His perfect timing.    

En Route

Today, the first part of our dossier began its journey to Maeve's country.  It's just a stack of papers, but these are documents we have spent weeks gathering, checking and rechecking.  Hours on the phone scheduling appointments to have meetings, medical tests, and gathering information about us and our lives from officials (to make even things like the way we spell our names officially official)  for documents that all had to be approved, then notarized, and then apostilled by the state.  And now, two months after making the commitment to adopt this little love...

we are 35 documents closer to her.  We still have a few more to collect/have notarized/send off to be apostilled, and then wait for them to return, but we are getting there.  Praise the Lord!!!

  
We have met so many kind and helpful people since we began the process of adoption.  We enjoy meeting new folks and hearing their stories.  It's amazing how much we all have in common, and how many of us are connected by just a few people in between. We have learned so much...and this is just the beginning!

During this time of working intently to compile our dossier as quickly as paperwork procedures will allow, we have been so uplifted by your prayers and your outpouring of love and support for our family.

Thank you for your kind responses to our letter.

Thank you for your encouraging words.  

Thank you for your love and your prayers!

We appreciate you!!

 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7

High Hopes in Him

Wow!  Recently, we read about the first person with Down Syndrome to receive an honorary doctorate!

It's no secret that most parents want the best for their children.  We dream of the day they will come into the world, or in the case of adoption, into our family forever.  We imagine what they will look like, sound like, be like.  We dream big dreams for them and pray over them as if their very lives depended on it...(they do).  

We know some wonder what our lives will look like many years from now.  So do we!  But in the same way that we've always wondered.  We've wondered for a long time if the Lord is coming back before we grow old.  We're still wondering about that.  We're looking for him because the Bible says in Hebrews 9:28,

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."    

There are plenty of future details to wonder about, but it is also written in Matthew 6:34, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." 

Still, what parent can't help but dream, hope, and pray for our little ones' days to come.  Oh Lord, that they would be full of you and love to serve you!  

Just as we can never predict the talents and abilities of any biological child the Lord gives us, there is no way to know what capabilities an adopted child will be blessed with.  We do know that for any child, love and nurturing can foster optimal growth and development.  We know that every child deserves parents whose hopes are so very high for them.

Our hopes are high because they are all in Him.  Not because we have unrealistic expectations.  Not because we are unaware that parenting is challenging.  Our hopes are high because we serve an awesome God who is able to supply all of our needs no matter the circumstances.  He is our shield and our portion, our strong tower and our fortress, our rock and our redeemer.  He is our salvation!  If we rest in Him, He supplies peace that surpasses all understanding and He is ALL we need.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.  

Ephesians 3:20-21.

Please continue to pray for our sweet girls' health and safety. <3

Are we there yet?

One of the first questions we get asked after sharing about our adoption is, "When can you bring her home?"

Our hearts say, "Not soon enough."  Every day there instead of here is another day Maeve didn't get to be a daughter. Today, sweet Maeve didn't get to feel our arms around her or feel her big sister practice being "soft" by gently stroking her little hands.

We honestly don't know the exact conditions of her daily life at this point.  We know what we have read and heard from other parents who have adopted from her country.  We know that baby houses are "better" than the ADULT mental institutions they are transferred to, as early as the age of four .  We know that some baby houses are better than others, depending on the directors and staff.  We know that regardless of how much a nanny may care for the children, there is still a severe deprivation of human contact.  There is still inadequate nutrition for their growing bodies.  Some families have recently brought home one year olds wearing 6 months size clothing and three year olds fitting into 18 months and even 12 months size clothing.  

Each day we pray Maeve is cared for with compassion, even if that means God miraculously softens hearts that were hardened before.  It seems incredulous to most of us here in America that children could be seen as less that human, less than worthy of time and attention, proper nutrition and a chance to grow as healthily as possible.  Most of us cannot understand what it is like to have had our opinions about children with special needs and disabilities formed by a society that condones the disposal of these babies the moment they are born.  It is a societal expectation to sign away parental rights as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed in the hospital.  The rejected babies are then squandered away, housed by the hundreds, hidden from society.

We know that our Father in heaven can do all things.  We ask Him to change hearts, knowing He hears the cries of His children, that He loves us, and that He will never leave nor forsake us.  We pray expectantly!  We pray daily that Maeve is not hungry.  As we sit down to pray over our meal, we think of her and ask the Lord to protect her from hunger.  That if necessary, He supernaturally supplies her need for nourishment.  We believe He will do this...because we ask as blood bought, born again children of God.  We go boldly before His throne and we call on the name of Jesus, and we have peace that surpasses all understanding, including ours.

The culmination of this process will be traveling to Eastern Europe to meet Maeve, be named as her parents in court, and then finally, bring her home Lord willing.  The latest that her homecoming should be is September - her birthday month!  We are praying for it to happen sooner, understanding that God's timing is perfect, and desiring to remain in the center of His will for our travel plans.  Please pray about these things with us.

A family for her birthday...

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?  
Matthew 7:11

Thank you for your prayers!!