The Rollorcoaster just started down hill!

Wow what a week. This last Friday we got a call from our adoption coordinator. I thought she was going to tell us that we needed to update our information. Instead she said they had a little girl they wanted us to consider adopting! We are so happy to say we have accepted her referral. I am attaching her pictures but not her Chinese name for now (in case something happens they want her specific info confidential). We will need to wait the 2-4 months until China says "yes" to us and starts us on travel plans. We are naming her Sarah Mae Routson.

Here is what happend on Friday
Last Friday I talked to a friend who had a baby in the family that might need some help for a while. I felt for the family; what a hard time. We were willing to do something to help. I prayed "Lord you know it's not my special desire but whatever you want". I went to church to do some stuff and asked our pastor to pray for us that we would be wise. He asked if we could pray right then. He prayed for unity, unity, and more unity and wisdom too. One hour later our coordinator called with our little girls info!
She is turning 3 on October 26th and has had a cleft lip and palate repair. I didn't know what Thad would say and he was in the orchard late that night. He got home, looked at her pictures read her bio and both of us cried. He said she she sounds like she belongs in our family. I am thankful that the Lord gave us unity from the start. Even naming her went like that.

This is the time for us that it is easy to praise God. Knowing that His love endures, that He doesn't change, that He has our best in mind. We have struggled in this process and I'm sure we still will but here are a few things we have learned to a deeper level through this.

1) Our faith can't be based on our circumstances. " Psalm 33:18 "Behold the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness, To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us, according as we have hoped in You." This was written during the famine not after. They hoped during they trusted during the storm. I feel like we are out of the "famine". I am thankful that the Lord gave us hope and faith through it that He would sustain us. I am thankful that when we were discouraged He would send someone to encourage us (like you). I'm so thankful that He helped us to trust Him during the process and not get caught up in focusing on the wait and not Him.

2) The other thing we have learned is to check our expectations in at the door! Do you have things that have come up in life that you step back from and say "this is not what I want!!!" Well we felt that way with not being able to get pregnant. I felt like we went through the grieving process: denial, bargaining, anger, and acceptance! I know Thad and I would not be as close today as we are if things had gone "our way". I know that I would not have been able to empathize as well with other people who are struggling with wanting something or expecting something and that dream being shattered. So if you are there; dreams, hopes, goals that you need to lay down that are shattered or not going "your way": Lay them at Jesus feet. Grieve over them. Cry out to God and let Him know that this is not "what you expected" (He already knows that anyway) and wait for Him. Wait for Him to show you He cares. Acknowledge when He sends people your way that give you hope and thank Him for it. Listen to what He has to say about what you are going through. Spend time in the Bible and see what He brings to you from it. Trust that He has your best in mind. He loves you more that you can comprehend.

I'm reminded of Taylor with our cat. Taylor so wanted the cat to come to him. I kept telling him "sit down and call the cat. He may come to you and he may not. If you keep trying maybe someday he will come to you. Don't force him to stay with you because as soon as you let go he will run!" I see God the same way a bit. He calls us do we listen? He patiently waits for us to come. He doesn't force us. When we don't come we miss out! When we choose to come and listen to crawl in his lap we will know we are loved and secure.

The cat still doesn't come to Taylor. Maybe someday!