WAITING= TIME TO GROW

I love that Lord gives you assurance and words of wisdom just right when they are needed most.


We are still waiting, no word as to when the committee will reopen, although, most are speculating it will probably open mid January after their Christmas celebration the first two weeks of January. I know that our in country coordinator has attempted to submit our dossier a couple times and then have ignored or denied accepting it. But, with how unpredictable international adoption is we don't like to put an end date on anything.


My bible study "When Wallflowers Dance" by Angela Thomas, the last couple weeks was tailor made for me at this very point of our adoption process. It was titled "Until its your turn" and was all about WAITING. I felt like I needed to share parts of this weeks study because it just was so powerful for me, and I know we all have "lines" and hardships we are facing, and can all benefit from hearing Angela's teaching.


Life can be full of situations where we feel like we are waiting in line, waiting to hear "NEXT" called in our direction. When faced with an agonizing wait, some might wonder if they are waiting in the right line or think this wait was longer than they bargained for.  Just because we are waiting, doesn't mean that we weren't called by God to stand in this line, or that we aren't fully qualified. Sometimes is just not our turn yet. It doesn't mean that is isn't EVER going to happen, its just not yet.


I loved this excerpt "To do everything we can, stay the course, and wait to be next requires a grown-up Jesus woman who has put away whining and manipulation. She has decided not to stomp her feet, huff and puff, groan and complain. She is waiting with integrity."

"But if we HOPE for what we do not yet have, we WAIT for it PATIENTLY" 

Romans 8:25

I feel like this period of time waiting is going to shape my character and my relationship with the Lord more than any other time I have come across so far in my life. It takes a huge amount of faith and relinquishing control to fully give our daughter and this intricate process over to the Lord, and trust Him. Like I have said before, we feel like we are walking blind-folded, not knowing what's under our feet, but keeping our balance with our head held high, and anticipating and listening to every whisper from the Lord about when to step right, or step, or stop...our senses are heightened to His voice, when we are unable to rely on ourselves. 

Although, things appear at at halt in our process, a standstill...i know the Lord is still moving. (Thank you Lucy for your encouraging words!!) He isn't taking this time to sit down and twiddle his thumbs, he is WORKING. We choose to stand in line with integrity and know soon it will be our turn. I am choosing this waiting period as an opportunity to grow up. Grow up in my faith.

When we wait God calls us the ABIDE in Him. John 15:1-10. Look it up. The last conversation Jesus had with his disciples before he was betrayed... and he left them with these important words. In 10 verses he uses the word REMAIN 11 times! Until its our turn to be called up, we are to remain in Him. I want to be in step with him, I want to be in his presence, so close that I can hear His voice.

While we wait God calls us to ENTRUST to Him whatever we have deemed valuable and TRUST that he is capable of keeping it safe....our daughter and our process to bring her home. He is the one who called us to her, he is the one who placed this desire and passion into our hearts, HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS TREASURE WHILE WE WAIT!! I want my waiting and trusting in His plan to be an act of praise!!

"People, trust God all the time. Tell him all your problems, because God is our protection." 

Psalm 62:8

While we wait God calls us to BECOME the woman that He wants to use, the woman who is ready to be called up at a moments notice! I want to become the woman that he created me to be. I am taking this time to prepare myself to be used, prepare my heart to fight a battle for my little girl, to be the god lead mother that my children so deserve. I want to be better, I don't want to waste this waiting period, just trying to get by, I want to be purposeful in self reflecting and refining to become the Christ-following woman, mother, and wife I WANT to be!

While we wait God calls us to become and remain a woman of PRAYER! I want  to continually throw myself into God's presence through prayer...he will carry me when I am weak, he makes me strong. Through prayer and relying on him he will give us the endurance to make it through the wait.

While we wait God calls us to STAND. When we have done all these other things: Abide in his presence, Entrust and Trust him with what you have deemed valuable, Become the woman who can be used by God, devoted yourself to Prayer, God may still ask us to just stand. 

"Maybe you can't take one more step. Just stand. Maybe you're tired of the wait. Keep standing. Maybe it seems like it will never be your turn. Stand.....Wait on the Lord. Until it's your turn, I want you to become aware of God's intimate presence in your waiting. He is not far away. He is here. Holding you.. I want you to know His pleasure. He is perfecting all those things that concern you. God can give you a righteous confidence in your waiting.. And when it's finally your turn and He says, 'Next.' what a thrill it will be to yell,'Hey, that's me! I'm ready to dance!'"

Don't tell me that wasn't tailor made for exactly what I needed to hear. I know that it may be just what someone else reading this today needed to hear. 

Lord, we praise you even when we can't see the whole picture. I want to do all of these things, help me grow and patiently wait until you tell us its our turn!!!