Seven years of waiting . . .

Today we reached our seven year mark.  We have officially been logged in and waiting for our Little One for 7 years, yep 84 months.  Who would've thought?  Not us, that's for sure.  We could never have foreseen this long wait for our first and likely only child.  We imagined a typical 12-15 month wait for this international adoption.  God saw otherwise.  His ways are not our ways.  Looking back we see God's hand in all of this, even the long wait.  He has protected us from earthquakes, bird flu, mudslides, government shutdowns, torrential rains and snow storms.  When we say we've been spared in these situations, let me make it clear that we weren't even close to being effected by any of these.  But God's provision of safety is amazing and timing impeccable.  During the long wait we often made projections as to when we may travel and each time God has proven time and again that it wasn't "our time".  He showed us often after the fact that He provided protection and safety for us by  preventing us from traveling at a certain time.  Who could ask for more? 

I am thanking God tonight for His sovereignty and His Love.  I am thanking Him for our ability to be patient during this wait  and I'm thanking Him for our contentment.  I am thankful He's making us wait as I know we've grown in Him during this time.  And I'm so thankful we are His children.  I now have a better understanding of what it means to be "adopted" into the family of Christ and loved unconditionally. 

Lots of reasons to be thankful!!

Not just this Thanksgiving season, but everyday we have so many reasons to be thankful.  I am grateful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and for His mercy and grace that are new everyday.  I am thankful He called me to be a part of His family and take me in as His child, that I am forgiven and He loves me in spite of my many faults and failures. I'm thankful for my husband who is a God-fearing and God loving man who also has been saved by the grace of God.  I'm thankful for our families and their relationship with Christ.  I'm thankful for our Church and its leadership and our dear Pastor and his family.  I'm thankful for our determination to be good servants and stewards of Christ and that by His grace we are living closer to Him today and grow closer with each changing season of our lives.  I'm thankful for our health.  I'm thankful for jobs and thankful for His protection over us. 
I'm even thankful for Him leading us on this long road called adoption.  Although we've waited nearly seven years  (tomorrow), we know God has a plan for us.  Who are we to question His timing and sovereignty.  
Along the adoption front, it looks like referrals may be on their way.  Rumors are flying, the next LID's referred could be anywhere between November 16th to November 20th.  Guess, we wait to see.