Number 7 of “30 Things I Know About Adoption.”
When people ask what the hardest part of adoption is, most families will answer, “THE WAITING!”
And they will probably nearly yell it at you.
For some the waiting starts before the adoption as they wait for a spouse to get on board with the idea.
You scurry around, fill out MOUNDS of paperwork and then? Well then you wait.
You wait for a birth mother to select you. You wait for an agency to match you with a child (the referral).
It’s a process that can take months, or even years. The narrower your adoption criteria (age, sex, health) the longer the wait.
Then the magical day comes when you get THE CALL! Tears of joy, exciting announcements, near hysteria.
Then you wait some more. Waiting for delivery, waiting for court, waiting for travel.
We bypassed the first waiting period by adopting our kids from a waiting children list. So nearly all our adoption process we had two specific faces in our minds while we were waiting.
It was excruciating. And, as we’ll talk about tomorrow, nothing EVER goes as planned. We thought we’d have them home in 6-9 months. It was 12. That’s relatively short, and I still lost my mind.
I don’t know one adoptive mom that hasn’t had an emotional melt down at some point in the process. I don’t think it’s possible.
But, it’s kind of like childbirth. No matter how painful and scary (and mine were both), the hard parts get glazed over once you have that child in your arms.
When your child is finally home in your family, the wait will become a distant memory.
In the mean time, look at it as a growth process.
Don’t you hate it when people say stuff like that? 🙂
Remember that you are not waiting alone…
Isaiah 40:28-31 (The Message)
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.
Truth!! Thanks for the encouragement, Julie 🙂 xo
I so needed this today!! Thank you! As a family waiting for a match and clutching my phone every second for fear I will miss the call – we are in the WAIT! Man it is tough! Thank you for this verse, it is going on my fridge, desk, phone, mirror, and anywhere else I need to put it!