Brushstrokes

As I sat down to write and update today I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. I wonder how many of our posts here have the word "waiting" in it. And I decided to look up the definition of the word adopt, which is:

a·dopt  (ǝ-dôpt’)

tr.v. a·dopt·ed, a·dopt·ing, a·dopts

1. To take into one's family through legal means and raise as one's own child.

However, after much thought, I believe it should read:

a·dopt  (ǝ-dôpt’)

tr.v. a·dopt·ed, a·dopt·ing, a·dopts

1. To wait and wait and wait and wait... with as much patience as possible.

2. To take into one's family through legal means and raise as one's own child.

We were hoping to hear this week if and how the parental interview went a week and a half ago. It was scheduled for Nephtali to go to the embassy with her biological mom and dad on Dec. 27th to be interviewed. Usually this interview is done a few months after the adopting family files their I600. The embassy scheduled their interview only 2 weeks after our appointment. So we are praying that, with such short notice, mom and dad were found and got to the embassy for the appointment and that all went well.

We are also waiting to hear if we were one of the families for whom President Martelly signed a dispensation. Haiti has a rule that the adopting family can only have two biological children (oddly there is no limit on how many adopted children they have). Thankfully they almost never adhere to this law and offer families with more than two biological children a presidential "dispensation."

We got word last week President Martelly of Haiti signed about 100 of these dispensations and that many of the families adopting from Lifeline that needed it were included. But we do not know if we were in IBESR long enough to be included in that bunch or if we are still waiting. President Martelly has only been signing them every six months so far and if we missed this bunch it could mean that we may have to add an additional six months to our wait.

All right, I admit it. Today is one of those hard days. I want movement. I want encouragement that things are happening. I want steps crossed off. I want my daughter in my arms. I don't want to wait anymore. I just want the real definition of adoption fulfilled. I want her to be here, a part of our family, all things legal done and raise her to love the Lord with all her heart and be secure in the fact she has a forever family.

Okay, pity-party/tantrum over.

Back to reality. God is in control and knows better then me. Leaning on Him and putting my trust in His plans. Finding comfort that my daughter will have lots of people to make her smile and arms to hug her today. A large group of friends and others will be arriving at the orphanage today. Children will be cheering, tears of joy will be shed, hearts will be forever changed, God's hands and feet will be in action on the hard dusty soil of Haiti.

So I will close my eyes when the frustration starts to swell inside me and envision the strokes being brushed in the bigger picture. Our Heavenly Father, paint brush in hand, blending deep rich warm browns and soft tender creams together. And that is a beautiful thing, a very beautiful thing. Far greater and more important then my solo "party" here in KS.